“Hope”, the latest single from California based Pop Rock group The Project is reminiscent of the early 2000s’ Pop Rock sonic landscape. It invokes a nostalgic, merged and intentionally unclear sound where different instruments come together at the listener in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish between them.

The track begins with a rising note that reminds one of sunrise and accurately sets the theme for the rest of the song to follow. The different elements spring into action almost immediately – the percussion heavy and powerful, the strings providing a sense of urgency and rhythm. The voice of the lead singer James Davis drips with emotion on “Hope” and The Project is able to translate this sense of longing to the listener. The post-chorus is brief and provides the much-needed mellowness before the second verse begins, after which the bridge combines elements of the song to let the listener linger on them for slightly longer, adding claps and simple percussion before it shifts gear to the last rendition; an elevated and high-energy chorus. The song ends on a calm and hopeful note.

The lyrics on the verses persist with the theme of yearning, missed opportunities and the loss of a loved one, while the chorus is hopeful about a new day, in juxtaposition with the verses that are about lost paradise. In this way the song traverses the liminal space between longing and letting go exploring themes of self-blame and self-discovery. The words of The Project sometimes feel distant from the sonic landscape, but this cleverly adds to the nostalgia for the sound of the 2000s.

“Hope” is sonically consistent with The Project’s previous work and thematically reminds one of their track ‘what’s it going to take’. If you are a fan of Pop rock from the 2000s, you must check out The project and follow their attempt at recreating it!