Little Comets
Album: Hope Is Just A State Of Mind
Label: The Smallest Label
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.littlecomets.com/

The North East seems to be good at producing trios at the moment, but on the surface there seems to be little apart from numbers and geography to connect Little Comets and Fatea Band Of The Year, The Young 'Uns and Little Comets, with the former being a folk band, with a style drawing on folk traditions, both vocal and accompanied and the latter being far more influenced by an indie-folk, rootsy crossover, but start scratching below the surface and the comparisons become more obvious, particularly when comparing the songs penned from, within the respective combos.

"Hope Is Just A State Of Mind" breaks a run of three EPs from the band, becoming their first full length cut since 2012's "Life Is Elsewhere" and actually only rings in three songs from the intervening releases, including the title track from "Salt". What you get is a combination of personal and political songs delivered with a real grint and determination and a feeling that they don't care if you need to work a bit to get where they are coming from, that's better than laying it out on a plate and leading you to it. Little Comet may not be as overtly political or historical as The Young 'Uns, but they've locally shared reference points to get across.

"Hope Is Just A State Of Mind" is not an album that compromises, at times it's really harsh and in your face, challenging you almost to take it head on. The indie rock leanings combined with the, at times almost reggae, roots beat is powerful and driving. Combined with the lyrics there are times you can almost feel yourself being drawn into a mob mentality, we're not happy with what's going on, we want to to change it and we want to be heard!

Little Comets deliver thoughtful songs with an aggressive edge, allowing very little respite, unless you consider a shift from anger to melancholia to be a rest. "Hope Is Just A State Of Mind" reminds me of the quote, 'those that live on hope alone, dear girl, will starve. So she stopped hoping and took action instead." Little Comets may not have made things easy for themselves, but they have made an album that has integrity by the bag full.

Neil King