The title of Jesca Hoop's seventh album refers to the fossilized fetus that a woman carried in her stomach for decades. Hope saw this as a metaphor, for example for a secret that you carry with you for ages. The singer-songwriter gives shape to this with sparingly arranged songs, which she recorded this time with producer . From the black and white artwork to the musical tapestry, Hoop op Stonechild
… turns it into a kind of gray zone. Gloomy, but subtly harmonious and without too much frills. Her folk has a chilly edge, but is gently thawed with background choirs and vocal lines. In the song Passage's End Hoop sings about burying her 'stonechild', in which saying goodbye is central. Hope makes these kinds of subjects on Stonechild a bit more bearable with its captivating music. (JvQ)more
