Tom Hooper

After the "now you see it, now you don't" Grapes of Wrath reunion, bassist Tom Hooper returns with his first solo album. Nothing unexpected here, although it's a lot better than Ginger ever was, perhaps because it was made at a relaxed pace at Hooper's Saltspring Island home. After his tumultuous business career, it's interesting to hear him sing, "If you try too hard, you will go insane/if you try too hard, you will make the same mistakes as me." Hooper handles all instruments except for drums, where his brother and ex-Grape Chris sits in, and many of the Grapes' characteristics are present, including lush harmonies, Hooper's underrated bass playing and vintage pop melodies; it says a lot when a George Harrison cover slips in seamlessly with the original material.