Hope & Sorrow is the sophomore effort from France’s Wax Tailor (also known as DJ and producer JC le Saout), the follow up to the acclaimed Tales of The Forgotten Melodies, a stunning debut that topped charts worldwide. Wax Tailor has proven to be a master of sampling, which is an art form in and of itself. Layering and arranging samples expertly is often difficult to pull off on just one track, but Hope & Sorrow keeps that skill in high gear from beginning to end. There are going to be the inevitable descriptions of this being a cinematic venture, which is absolutely true here, just as it was in the previous album.
With the help of a large cast, including Voice, The Others, and spoken word goddess Ursula Rucker, the story of Hope & Sorrow rolls out over several distinct movements, and you won’t find any shortage of excellent selections. The album opens with "Once Upon A Past", a track with stumbling beats and a showdown aura. Next, Sharon Jones paints soulful cabaret melodies over "The Way We Lived." "Beyond Words" combines down-tempo jazz aesthetic with a classic lounge air. "To Dry Up" has a mischievous beginning that inches forward, carrying Charlotte Savary’s honeyed voice throughout this orchestral track. But the standout for me is "Sometimes," a show-stopping interlude flavored with plenty of jazz form, circling funk beats, and haunting flute accents. Despite the often eerie feel of the vintage samples, optimism rides on each of these melodic tracks.
The spectral vocal samples, brass, and strings mix perfectly with the juggled beats, taking you all across the globe, from one era to the next. All of these blend together to create a masterpiece of an album that is sure to set Wax Tailor up as a turntable icon.
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