HOO, the dream-pop project featuring members of legendary UK shoegaze bands Slowdive, Mojave 3, and Chapterhouse, is back with their highly anticipated album, III, dropping on October 25, via Big Potato Records. With a decade-long gestation, III promises to be an evolution in both sound and ambition, combining elements of spacey folk, krautrock, and cinematic dream pop.
Critics are already buzzing about the album, with Mojo praising the band’s unique blend of “’50s sci-fi meets peak Reading shoegaze,” calling it the “ideal soundtrack for the new normal.” Echoes & Dust described it as a “must-listen for fans of cinematic dream pop and krautrock,” while Uncut highlighted the album's “shoegaze guitars, space-folk synths, otherworldly drones, and krautrock drums,” all melding into soundscapes that feel “immersive and hallucinogenic.” Meanwhile, Shindig! called III a “textural and cinematic guitar-driven epic.”
The record showcases HOO’s skill for weaving together dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes with their signature woozy dynamics. These songs unfold with a mysterious charm, balancing chaos and emotion while revealing a newfound indie-pop flair. Tracks on III clock in at a tight two or three minutes, driven by grunge-soaked guitars and quirky Moog synths. Yet the band also stretches into more expansive, progressive territory, as heard on standout tracks like the cinematic "Ov Violence/Evil Weeks" and the brooding, gothic closer "Method Papers."
Over the 10-year process of crafting III, the band enlisted an impressive roster of collaborators. Key contributors include Simon Rowe (Chapterhouse, Mojave 3), Ian McCutcheon (Mojave 3, Slowdive), Paul Blewett (Moon Attendant), Lee Lavender, and renowned folk artist Jackie Oates. Oates’ contribution to the track "England Theme" is one of the album’s emotional highlights, bringing a haunting lead vocal that HOO’s songwriter, Nick Holton, calls a “simple yet profound mirror” of themes like pride, disappointment, and the weight of the world around us.
Reflecting on the album, Holton explains, “All of my music, from Coley Park to my collaborations with Neil Halstead (Slowdive), is rooted in home recording. My studio, the ‘Oaki Room,’ is where it all happens, blending seamlessly into my life. That’s why musicians like Paul, Ian, and Simon are a constant presence on my records—these songs are just part of who we are.” He adds, “Despite the dark themes—politics, religion, conflict, human frailty, alien invasions, and environmental collapse—we aimed to make this album engaging and oddly endearing, skipping through a psychedelic haze at full volume.”
While III marks the closing of a chapter for Holton, he hints at it being his most fully realized work to date. “I can’t explain exactly what’s happening, but III definitely feels like the end of something,” he notes. “It’s the most complete thing I’ve ever done.”
Fans can expect III to deliver an eccentric and explosive ride, balancing playfulness with intensity, and pulling no punches as it delves into deep thematic territory. Mastered by Heba Kadry (Beach House, Björk, Slowdive), the album will be available in LP, CD, and digital formats. The release is preceded by the band’s latest EP, Myself When I Am Real.
Prepare for a sonic journey unlike any other—HOO’s III is a mesmerising blend of the past, present, and otherworldly.
