OCTOBER 2008 ONLINE EDITORIALS

Russ Hopkins - Sweet Mystery

By Joshua Espinosa

After engineering over one hundred albums, Kiva Records founder, Russ Hopkins, has utilized his musical expertise to compile Sweet Mystery, his first all-original CD.

Co-produced by long-time collaborator Jerry Palmer, this collection of country-tinged folk leaves the listener longing for the time when music was unapologetically raw and organic. Regularly consisting of lethargic instrumentals, the album generates a Western ambience that never ends. Witness Hopkins successfully comply with the time-honored blueprint of reflective Americana. His introspective lyrics and multi-instrumental skills evoke moments spent contemplating the vast skyline and our connection with nature. Perhaps his close ties to the Native American community are responsible for the obvious earthy undertones throughout the piece.

The opening track “Shattered” is a ghostly instrumental that flickers with elements renowned within the genre. The mournful harmonica (quite allusive to Neil Young) is accompanied by the indolent guitar strumming, thus providing an ideal backdrop for the hushed intensity of Hopkins’ voice. In contrast, the album’s title track, “Sweet Mystery,” is a jovial and sweetly melodic tune that is somewhat of an oddball. Expressing the blissful anticipation of the birth of a child, Hopkins sings plaintively against a lighthearted, lilting strum.

This New York native demonstrates his melodic genius by delivering songs that are naturally rich in poetic suggestion and harmonious charm. It is evident that Hopkins and Palmer put a lot of effort into conceiving this album. Each song integrates with one another seamlessly, and the result is an enjoyable album that showcases Hopkins’ talents as a bona-fide troubadour.