By: Joseph VanBuren
Rating: 6/11 

Whatever digital-age hippies may be, Hooray For Earth’s new EP Momo is obviously what they listen to. The only dimension of time that doesn’t seem to have a heavy influence on this band is the present. When psychedelic reflections of the past and bright hopes for the future collide, you get Momo. 

Hooray For Earth is the brainchild of ex-miserable-bastard (his own words) Noel Heroux. In an interview on Amplified with Dan Harris, Noel talks about dealing with depression for years. Momo starts off as the triumphant soundtrack to his victory over those years. The opening track, “Surrounded By Your Friends,” is driven by a happy melody as comfortable as the song’s title. This upbeat mood, bouncing between spacey electronic and danceable rock, continues through track three, “Get Home.” It is in this song that subtle dark tones start emerging. Melting into the eerie, unsettling “Scaling,” the mind-altering experience suddenly becomes a bad trip. Noel’s demons of depression seem to resurface, but only for one song. Momo closes with “Form,” a steady rock tune that places the emphasis back onto melody and comfort. 

Momo is so sonically layered and spans such a spectrum of emotion in such a short period of time, it definitely takes more than one listen to absorb it all. What is noticeable right away is that Hooray For Earth excels at creating upbeat, catchy hooks despite having a dark side that can take over the music at any moment. Whether or not the dual-personality of Momo represents a transition in Noel Heroux’s personal life, the songs are certainly full of character and offer another world for the listener to get lost in.