If sunny tunes that put a spring in your step and a positive spin on the day are what you are looking for to blast away the Arctic-powered January Blues, then Hollie Cook has them in spades. Vessel of Love is the daughter of Sex Pistol Paul Cook and the former Slit’s third solo album and one that is awash with lilting lovers rock grooves that bring to mind the classic pop reggae sounds of the legendary Janet Kay and even has hints of Lily Allen’s summery debut album Alright, Still on occasion. This is mellow music for swinging hips and, as the temperature plummets, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
The doctor in this case would be über-producer and Killing Joke bassman, Youth, who brings horns, bass and buckets of reverb that build up Hollie’s good vibes with added dub dynamics. From the rootsy lead single “Angel Fire” and “Staying Alive”, with it’s Lee “Scratch” Perry-flavoured trippy effects overlaid with Cook’s breezy vocals, Vessel of Love takes grooves from the golden age of reggae and shines them up without sounding retro. The infectious “Ghostly Fading” adds pop-reggae with a mellowed-out ska vibe and dubby splashes, while “Lunar Addiction” has a whoozy, roots reggae groove that morphs into sunny and sophisticated pop. Vessel of Love and its warm grooves could even get reggae back onto daytime radio.
Hollie Cook’s soothing, self-styled “tropical pop” is chilled without any hint of lethargy and has plenty of dub flavours without lurching down a commercial cul-de-sac. Her pop sensibility and sweet, frothy vocals might be a bit lightweight at times but, at its root, Vessel of Love is a fine disc of summery grooves that is guaranteed to light up some smiles and what could be better than that at this time of year?
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