Former Nova Scotian Jason Ball has played with The Heavy Blinkers, The Wilderness and The Hylozoists, but with a six-year break, his Hopeful Monster project has remained under the radar. Metatasking feels like a secret collection of fuzzy and, yes, hopeful, pop songs. Opener “Uncivilized” has a casual, poppy Beach Boys-like feel to it. Ball’s guitar, piano and synth-driven melodies light up his songs, with slow, wistful tunes like “Dream Car” and “Rocky Holler Cannon” standing out. Accompanied by an array of notable Haligonian and Torontonian musicians, Ball’s songs bring some warmth in while Maritime winter winds are whipping at the windows.
This article appears in Feb 25 – Mar 3, 2010.