Hoopy Frood are an interesting band, formed in the UK in 2004, with an eclectic range of influences from psych, electronica, pop, prog, and reggae.  I played The River from their fourth studio album Mostly Harmless (a reference, of course, to the legendary Douglas Adams) on my radio show of 2nd August. The album was released the day before, and you can get a copy by hooping along to https://hoopyfrood.bandcamp.com/album/mostly-harmless

The band are Steve Varman (Guitars, Synths); Rich Walgate (Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Bits & Pieces); Myshell Higgins (Vocal); Ruari Hignell (Percussion); Adam Hampton (Percussion, Flute); Andy Aust (Drums); and Chris JD Read (Acoustic guitar, Mandolin, Backing Vocals).

Ten tracks on here to delightfully digest and dissect.

We start with Already Home, the keys and flutes combined with the rich female voice providing for that wonderful sense of anticipation that you are about to listen to something very special, a glorious mix of electronica, chill dance, psych, the sounds and mood swirling around in your head, a definite sense of the ability to draw the listener in, and we are treated to a pared back Gilmouresque guitar solo in there, a relentlessly understated rhythm section underpinning it all. It is embedded at the foot of the page; the finest trance rock track I have had the pleasure of listening to in quite some time.

Chocolate Factory can be interpreted in several ways, including an ode to popular sweets such as M&Ms, or, of course, the type of mind-altering substances probably more prevalent today than at any time in recent popular culture, riding and rising above your self into that stream of consciousness taking you away from corporeal into the ethereal. There is a distinct Floyd influence from the outset on this, combined with modern electronic sensibilities and a funk infused sense of rhythm. I imagine lying on a Jamaican beach with this washing all over me, and we get the first glimpse of how strong Higgins is singing words as well as her chanting. Walgate provides us with a wonderful revolving bass riff, and there are some brass effects in here.

The River is fascinating lyrically, an analogy for the journey of life, swimming with the tide, for your life, for your love, knowing where you want to go and realising that dream. The mandolin from Read is evocative, the acoustic guitar rich, and this a track which has a commercial feel to it, the vocals entreating you to swim with Higgins, her ability to persuade you to follow her on the journey indicative of a special talent. There are some cracking riffs on this, guitars, bass, and drums combining to produce a stonking noise as we move into the closing segment. It is embedded below.

You Are Love is a good, old-fashioned entreaty to be yourself, to be free, and to love. We could do with more of it in the present gloom dominated media landscape that’s for sure. We can set ourselves free if we concentrate hard on the positives and what really matters. At the start, you are again transported to that beach, the sun scorching down on you, the spirit of Marley strong with a very strong partly sampled guitar solo. Be strong, be free. Probably my favourite feelgood track of 2025.

Shine has a video which is embedded below. It is the radio edit. A bright song full of energy, mutual satisfaction in body and soul, some fine organ and guitar work here.

Chasing the Sun follows, lyrically reaching out for the sun a la Anderson. Funky, trancey, full of energy, a modern fusion of beat and electronica with classic rock sensibilities in the form of a fine guitar riff.

Dream Your Life returns to that theme of living your best effort, dreaming and realising the outcome. Pulsating energy, a collective striving for the perfect pitch, the vocals so dreamy, some fine percussion and the brass effects having a strong impact. Varman’s guitar solo again has some fine fretwork, powerful riffs.

Waiting Room is an instrumental which I think could be considered as a natural modern successor to the experimental track of the same name which adorned The Lamb and has some darkly complex innovative jazzy impulsiveness.

Nothing is a paeon to a free mind, open to possibilities, not chained by preconceptions, the experimental sounds together with a more traditional rock guitar perfectly reflecting this, very catchy and ultimately uplifting, a state of mind put to music.

We close with Give, the truism that the more we give and love, the more we receive from the universe. It has a delightful African and mid-eastern vibe, the percussion especially effective, the flute deep and beguiling, the voice dancing with your head.

Mostly Harmless is not typical of the bulk of the music featured on this website, and I think that could also be applied to their media representatives, the peerless Bad Dog Promotions, and this is, naturally, a strong positive. I doubt that many of you reading this and listening to what I have played will have played too much like it in recent times, but the whole album leaves me in a very positive state of mind, with some hope for the future, because this album and the sentiments embedded within it speak far more powerfully than the doom laden, miserabilist narrative we seem stuck with.

Recommended for you to check out.