I've been lucky enough to have owned this album all summer, so I have had plenty of time to let the beauty of this album sink in for some time now. You don't rush a vintage wine. For those of you who aren't familiar with Trevor Jones, he is one half of the duo that is Miracle Mile. This is Trevor's first solo venture, but I use the word "solo" advisedly as his Miracle Mile partner, Marcus Cliffe, has his fingerprints all over the album. The sound is very much in the Miracle Mile vein, although it is painted with a sepia palette, mainly based around acoustic guitar, piano and percussion with shades of colour added by pedal steel guitar, violin, viola and some keyboards. This choice of instrumentation suits the album perfectly. Trevor has made a bold move for this album. The songs are linked with small poetry pieces, sometimes backed with just a guitar or piano, sometimes just voice. I did not know what to expect from a Trevor Jones solo album, but this album has surprised me completely with its fragility, beauty and grace. Trevor has always been a brilliant songwriter, hewn from the same rock as the now resurrected Paddy McAloon and Neil Finn, but this set of songs has even outshone his sterling work with Miracle Mile.
The album opens with a poetry piece "Speloncato", which sets the scene perfectly for the rest of the album. After many, many plays, I think one should play the album in its entirety and let it seep into your soul. Trevor sings of desire and loneliness, the past and the future, beauty and darkness, but mainly of love and hope. Songs such as "Realer than Real" or "Something Resembling Love" gently burn their way into your heart, and stay there. Trevor gets confessional for songs like "To Tell You the Truth" and "Bluer Skies than This" and the piano refrain of "Something fine" is absolutely gorgeous. The album takes you on a beautiful and beguiling journey through songs of the heart and true love, the love that comes with age and experience of sadness and joy. But the album is never morose or sentimental. The mood is lifted by several tracks including "November" with its organ and string touches. Another highlight is the track "Coffee and Stars", which is also the title of the Miracle Mile best of collection released last year, check it out. The album builds to the penultimate music track, the title track "Hopeland", the highlight of the entire journey and my song of 2009, by a long, long way. This song is worth the price of admission alone. The song is gentle, so beautiful and so uplifting, sung with a heartfelt honesty and integrity in that warm, clear voice that is Trevor Jones. It's a pleasure to report to Miracle Mile fans that everything you expected is present and correct, the song writing quality, the crafted and thoughtful instrumentation, the fantastic, honest voice. Trevor sings on Hopeland, "I just want to give you something to remember me by", Trevor you certainly have, and it's been a pleasure to go on this journey with you. I hope the album finds the audience it deserves and proves that it pays for artists to be Brave, Bold and Beguiling.