Bronx-born, Brooklyn-based
Ari Hest's fourth full-length outing finds the prolific singer/songwriter (in 2008 he recorded and released a new song every Monday for an entire year) treading familiar waters. Introspective, mildly existential, and imbued with the soft, familiar glow of loves won and lost,
Hest's rich voice, which cracks in all of the right places, is more than suited for the kind of lush and lonesome midtempo adult alternative balladry that makes up the majority of
Sunset Over Hope Street. Falling somewhere between
the Wallflowers,
Marc Cohen, and
Josh Ritter,
Hest's folkier side comes through on standout cuts like the heartfelt “Business of America,” the
Nick Drake-esque “A Good Look Around,” and the lovely title cut, but it’s the lush and moody opener, “Until Next Time,” that steals the show. Tastefully strewn with hand percussion, weepy strings, and fluttery piano, the song builds from an overcast day into a full-on gale, simultaneously celebrating and lamenting the flawed romance of missed opportunities.