These are anxious times. From unemployment and embattled governments to mys… Read Full Bio ↴These are anxious times. From unemployment and embattled governments to mysterious mass deaths of birds and fish, it's easy to wonder if 2012's apocalypse won't come a year early. It's heady fare for an indie rock record, but somehow the dense soundscapes from New York City's Hooray for Earth's True Loves find a way to float on thin air. "The record is really aggressive sounding, but soft in attitude," band leader Noel Heroux says. "It's a friendly record. I get more emotionally affected by extremes. I've really grabbed onto the positive, uplifting feelings in music that get me super psyched—but that can also come from sounds that are daunting and a little scary."

Coming out May 3, 2011, on Dovecote Records, True Loves builds on Hooray for Earth's acclaimed debut EP, Momo, and captures both the personal and universal anxieties that have such a footing in contemporary times. Lead single "True Loves" thumps along neck-snapping drums, awash with blips and synths, surprising breakdowns and Heroux's soaringly languid vocals. Pitchfork has already compared the track favorably to artists like MGMT, Yeasayer and Passion Pit, while saying that "all the right elements are in place...[it] floats along and pounds forward at the same time, and one way or another it wants to carry you along with it." Meanwhile, Stereogum labeled the band one of "CMJ's heroes," taking particular note of Hooray for Earth's "nimble but unpretentious guitars" and "sense of progressive psychedelics and percussive progressions." The sound that has indie-culture's gatekeepers fawning is one that springs directly from Heroux's imagination into a climactic reality.

"I don't write music with an instrument, I usually just get an idea of what the whole song sounds like in my head, kind of like an earworm that stays with you after listening to the radio. My task is to recreate what's stuck in my head in actual audible form, as quickly as possible," he says. "I wish I could just plug a cord into my head...I think that's why the music tends to be a little dense, because I think of all these things at once."

Heroux wrote, recorded, and produced about 90% of the new album, with bassist Christopher Principe and guitarist/live synthist Gary Benacquista peppering parts in a few sessions, and drummer Joseph Ciampini adding two days of rooftop drum tracking. Mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, Blonde Redhead, Delorean, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio), the album might as well be a direct link to the exciting mind of Heroux. Hooray for Earth's progression is apparent everywhere on the record and boasts exciting things for a band that has already appeared onstage with Mission of Burma, Holy Fuck, Surfer Blood, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Oh No Ono, and many more. Recorded over five weeks in New York, it's at once specific to the summer of 2010 and transcendent of time itself. Once again, a happy set of extremes.

"Most of the [recording] process is just me getting lost and trying to get things done. I feel like I'm on autopilot sometimes. I'll finish a song and wonder, 'When did that happen?' I don't spend a lot of time stressing about what instruments to use or what's missing, I just kind of let it be."

Last Minute
Hooray For Earth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

on the way
on the walk
obvious and small

I'm never before you

catch a wave
trap it off

use the eyes and all
vast and free as ever taught
the color is right, rise and fall

new and old power

We'll get older

We'll get older in age in age
I'm never before you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hooray for Earth's Last Minute exude an enigmatic aura that opens up to a world of interpretation. The first two lines "on the way, on the walk, obvious and small" might imply having a sense of direction in a journey, but it could also represent the mundane aspects of life that may seem trivial to some. "I'm never before you" suggests being left behind or trailing someone, perhaps in a race or a competition.

The following lines "catch a wave, trap it off, use the eyes and all, vast and free as ever taught, the color is right, rise and fall" depict a vivid imagery of a surfer riding a wave and experiencing the freedom and the thrill of the moment. The singer urges to catch the ride and make the most of the experience, becoming one with the vastness of the sea and the sky. The 'color' mentioned here may refer to the changing hues of the sky and the ocean as the day progresses.

The lines "new and old power, we'll get older, we'll get older in age in age, I'm never before you" seem to highlight the fleeting nature of youth and time. The 'new and old power' might imply that there is always a passing of the old guard to the new, as we age and grow older. There's a sense of acceptance and understanding in these lyrics, that one is never ahead of the other and everyone will eventually get old.

Line by Line Meaning

on the way
We are en route

on the walk
We are taking a leisurely stroll

obvious and small
Our surroundings are mundane and unremarkable

I'm never before you
I have never been in front of you

catch a wave
Ride the momentum

trap it off
Seize the opportunity

use the eyes and all
Employ all senses

vast and free as ever taught
Our experiences are unrestricted and unencumbered

the color is right, rise and fall
The moment is perfect, with its highs and lows

new and old power
The force behind us is both fresh and familiar

We'll get older
We will age inevitably