The track begins with unfocused, gentle piano, which ends abruptly in a shower of fuzz as the vocals begin. The voice is plaintive; this is a song about a broken heart and how it feels when a relationship is over.
Marissa Paternoster's lyrics are thoughtful and mutedly emotional. The music builds so skilfully, you almost miss the fact that the rest of the band have joined the fray, until this has built into a full-bodied indie guitar track. Then it’s over, leaving you wishing the track was a little longer, so you could enjoy the rich indie rock just that little bit longer. Screaming Females enlisted the help of esteemed video producer Laurence Bangs to add images to the words. The video was done using flashlights in a disused McDonalds playground. There are flashes of what looks like intestines draped over the kiddie’s area, and blood (real, apparently) on Marissa Paternoster’s guitar, giving a distinctly sinister feel to the whole affair. The most striking thing about the video, though, is the overlaid patterns, which Paternoster added by hand to the film itself, which must have been a gargantuan task and a true labour of love. Screaming Females have recently been playing in the UK. If you were lucky enough to catch them, I would say you were pretty damn lucky. This is just another pristine track from a band who shriek quality.
RIFFED's Rating: 8/10
Listen to 'Hopeless' and watch it's official video via Youtube: