Soot Sprite – Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon | Album Review

Shoegaze and emo-inspired trio Soot Sprite have long been dubbed ones to watch. With this debut it’s not hard to see why.

Signed to Bristol’s Specialist Subject Records alongside UK emo staples such as Martha and Fresh and Toodles & The Hectic Pity, Soot Sprite are in great company and already boast a solid collection of material. Although Wield Your Hope Like a Weapon may have more polished production courtesy of Tom Hill, there are still enough lo-fi and shoegaze-adjacent qualities for this to be an enjoyable listen, whether you’ve followed Soot Sprite’s career so far or you’re a newbie.

Intro track ‘Days After Days’ discusses the ongoing album theme of trying to choose kindness and compassion whilst tirelessly navigating today’s increasingly hostile economic and political climate but despite the heavy subject matter, Elise Cook’s vocal style, (which is almost reminiscent of 2010’s indie and folk acts such as Of Monsters and Men and Cults) paired with fuzzy guitars and lo-fi, distorted production qualities, ‘Days After Days’ is a worthy introduction to the album and sets the tone of what’s to come perfectly.

Lead single ‘All My Friends are Depressed’ also discusses similar themes in ‘Days After Days’, but the tone is a lot more nihilistic and the music reflects this due to Abi Crisp’s droning lead guitar and the noisy wall of sound production paired with the highly prevalent anger towards society. In comparison, third and most recent single ‘Vicious Cycles’ discusses more personal themes of relationships and breaking unhealthy patterns within romantic companionship, with Cook comparing said Vicious Cycles to an oil spill; one you can never fully shake off. A metaphor that many listeners should relate to in some form or other.

However, Wield Your Hope Like a Weapon showcases much more musical variety than previous Soot Sprite releases. Through tracks like ‘Doomed’, which prides itself on sunny guitar tones reminiscent of alternative 90’s acts such as The Cranberries, and ‘Surprise Guilty Party’, which provides catchy riffs in the key of escapism that ultimately collapse into nihilistic droning, this record see’s the band move into new sonic territories without leaving the musical pastures they’ve long grazed and honed their craft in.

Wield Your Hope Like a Weapon concludes with the mellow, dreamlike ballad ‘Cautious Optimism’ that discusses themes such as impostor syndrome and depression set to a sparse instrumental of just a jangly electric guitar and vocals, and Cook does an excellent job of carrying the final track due to the sheer emotion in her vocals and the earnestness of her lyricism. In all, Soot Sprite’s debut is a cacophony of nihilism set to an impressive amount of musical variety for a group who have only existed for five years. If you’re angry at the world and craving some fuzzy 90’s nostalgia, then you’ll love Wield Your Hope Like a Weapon.