Review: Former Maccabees frontman Orlando Weeks drops dreamy new album Hop Up

: by Joe Sharratt; in Reviews; on 20 January 2022

Since indie rockers The Maccabees disbanded five or so years ago, former frontman Orlando Weeks has been through some big life changes, and not just of the lockdown variety. In 2018, Weeks and his partner welcomed their first child, a landmark event for anyone. Weeks, though, took this colossal life event one step further, infusing his debut solo album The Quickening with his thoughts, feelings and anxieties about impending fatherhood.

Fast forward to 2022, and Weeks is back with the follow up record, Hop Up. It’s a warm and dreamy collection, and an album that continues to document his journey as a parent. It’s a mellower affair than The Quickening, though still coated in Weeks’ wonderful wispy vocals. Opening effort ‘Deep Down Way Out’ is a funky, laid-back number, while ‘Look Who’s Talking Now’ brims with the joy of being a Dad (“Look who's talking now / Hanging on the words you say / Look who's falling, found your calling / Look who's falling in love again.”)

Elsewhere, ‘Big Skies Silly Faces’ soars, and is almost impossibly wholesome (“Life's so easy / With a mind full / Of your silly faces’). In the hands of a lesser songwriter, this could come off as overtly twee, but Weeks balances Hop Up perfectly from beginning to end, weaving his narrative through his thoughtful, often meditative sounds, introducing little elements of fun at just the right moments. ‘Hey You Hop Up’ is a perfect example, the whole track feels like a performance for a child, with flourishes of pan pipes, keys, and synths. It’s a kaleidoscope of a track and a truly delightful experience.

Writing on his official Facebook page about the song and it’s quirky accompanying video, Weeks said: “On a DVD OF The Old Grey Whistle Test , there’s a performance by XTC. They’re playing ‘Statue of Liberty’ ... it’s great. Andy Partridge says at the start ... “put your acid spangles on this...”. That quotes always stuck with me. In ‘Hey You’ my lyric is “...through the shimmering spangles, I see those lime-green jelly sandals.” The jelly sandals made me think of Myungsik Jang’s Surreal Jelly. Myungsik made me my beautiful A Quickening animations. I’m so thrilled we could collaborate again on this.”

Weeks also took to Facebook to celebrate the album’s launch, writing: “Hop Up is out NOW …. Writing it, making it, living with it and now sharing it has been a 10/10 joy. I hope that some of that pleasure comes through in the songs and the record as a whole. If you've got it already or plan to get it, thank you. I hope I'll see you in March for concerts and in the summer for festivals.”

Hop Up tracklist: