The Spook School's 'Try To Be Hopeful' Is Both Socially Aware and So Much Fun

On 2013 debut 'Dress Up' Edinburgh sweethearts The Spook School honed a brand of fun, noisy indie pop which sat behind their semi-lighthearted probes at hypermasculinity (Can You Ever Trust a Man Who Thinks Matt Damon's Really Cool?), whilst vocalist Nye Todd took the Fortuna Pop! backing as an opportunity to strip down the brash sound tackle binary ideals on a more intimate moment with 'Something - it made for a really pleasant and refreshing LP that could act as a shy comfort to queer kids everywhere. 'Try To Be Hopeful', however, isn't shy. It's a record to wake up the ignorant rather than comfort the oppressed.

Opener 'Burn Masculinity' exists for little over two minutes but it goes at straight-white-male privilege with claws and fangs and is a more significant burst of activist than most manage in a career, its feedback laden guitar tracks bursting into a melting pot of melody in which transgender vocalist Nye Todd observes "I've got to accept that I've inherited a privilege that I should be aware of". In a sense it's a statement of intent regarding the queer punk party that follows. That's not to say that the album's a manifesto, though. There are moments of effortless pop fun that stray at least from the explicity that The Spooks discuss gender identities on the record as a whole. Take 'I Want To Kiss You' for example, a track aloof with jangly guitars and vocal tracks from at least three fourths of the band, there's a sorta youthful energy to it that most indie bands would probably make feel corny, but the willingness here to not overcomplicate makes for an excellent pop song. 

Whilst drummer Niall McCamley is the only member without a vocal credit on the record (which certainly changes live), vocal duties fall largely to brothers Adam and Nye Todd. Distinguishing the two, however, isn't as easy as you'd think given that Nye had hormone treatment throughout the recording of the album. It sorta adds to add authenticity to Todd's words, and kind of turns Try To Be Hopeful into as much of a journal as it is a record, it's a rare degree of intimacy and it would be incredibly difficult to not get sucked in. MJ of Hookworms can add this to his never ending list of great records he's produced in the last couple of years, the title track particularly benefits from having him behind the desk, with the various guitar tracks complimenting each other beautifully, from the simple fuzz accompanist on the chorus to the squealing feedback and lowkey David Bowie solo that see out the record. 

On the pulsating 'Binary' Todd demands "So make them uncomfortable and challenge their ideals, because those antiquated notions are blinding what is real" which I guess is something of a manifesto. Queer kids of the world unite and take over! 18 / 20 

By Marty Hill