Originally recorded from July to October 2012 and released in November 2012, this remixed and remastered special edition from 2021 includes a cleaner and revamped approach to the original tracks. Includes PDF booklet.
CREDITS:
released October 1, 2021
All music, lyrics instruments, noises, engineering, recording, producing: Shawn Ames except for "Covered in Fleas" -
music by Shawn Ames, lyrics by Brenda Shirley
All songs Copyright (C) 2021 Shawn Ames Music
Hopes and Fears (Deluxe Edition) - (2021)
Hopes and Fears is a remarkably candid, seventeen-track journey that acts as a sonic pendulum, swinging dynamically between raw existential dread and lighthearted, domestic escapism. Originally released on SoundCloud in 2012 and meticulously polished for its 2021 Deluxe remaster, the album is structured with a distinct emotional arc that mirrors the unpredictable highs and lows of human experience.
It begins with a soft piano and vocal for "Hopes and Fears" and then turns into some bombastic music after singing "Ooh, babe don’t give in / And if you do go down with a grin / In the end we all share tears / From our hopes and fears" . Moving from the circular philosophical struggle of the title track you're guided into the sharp-edged aggression of "My City, the Ghetto" and the bluesy, bottomed-out exhaustion of "Long Way Down."
As the record progresses, the heavy tension gives way to a warmer, more celebratory middle act. Here, the instrumentation opens up into organic acoustic strumming, upbeat rock-and-roll grooves, and breezy folk melodies. The lyricism shifts from isolating paranoia to the comfort of human connection, spanning from the expansive, grateful devotion of "Most Of All" and the gentle, slow-paced peace of "Afternoon Stroll," to high-energy, nostalgic celebrations of late-night escapism like "Babe" and "Whiskey and Bettie Page." Yet, the album’s true emotional core lies in its final descent.
The energetic rock structures fall away, replaced by sparse, melancholic arrangements and a deeply vulnerable, sober vocal tone. The music pulls no punches, exploring raw grief and impermanence through the haunting, post-loss tribute "Deeper (Every Tear I've Cried)" and the sweeping acoustic reflections of "Castles in the Sand." Even the album's eccentricities—such as the seafaring shanty roll of "Dropping Cannonballs" or the whimsical, kazoo-laden humor of "I'm Driving My Wife to Wendy's"—serve as essential, bittersweet buffers.
Everything ultimately culminates in the sprawling personal epic "This Is My Life Now." Blending domestic autumn imagery with a quiet, booze-numbed acceptance of aging and the fading of youth, the song brings the album to a poignant, circular close—recalling the opening plea to never give in, and if you must, to go down with a grin.
Behind the Music: Facts & Trivia
A Tribute to Father: The hauntingly emotional track "Deeper (Every Tear I've Cried)" is a deeply personal song written and recorded shortly after the sudden passing of the Shawn's father in September 2012.
Poetry to Melody: "Covered in Fleas" began its life as a poem written by Brenda Shirley about the artist's notoriously protective dog—a loyal companion who was notoriously mean to everyone else, but soft and protective at home. The poem was later set to music to create the track.
A Pirate Shanty via Keith Moon: The chaotic, fun-loving "Dropping Cannonballs" was inspired by a memorable scene in the classic comedy "Caddyshack". Written as if legendary, wild-card The Who drummer Keith Moon were narrating the story, it was recorded in a deliberately bad, charmingly theatrical English accent.
The Wendy's Run: The delightfully goofy, kazoo-laden "I'm Driving My Wife to Wendy's" was born out of a real-life three-block drive to grab fast food. Having spent the day drinking, the artist hummed the melody in the car, scribbled the lyrics down immediately upon returning home, ate dinner, and tracked the song right after. Kazoos were brilliantly used to mimic Spanish Mariachi horns.
An Independent Release: Because the material was recorded years before the artist began officially distributing music to major streaming services in 2016, Hopes and Fears remains an intimate, direct-to-fan project, available exclusively on artist-controlled platforms like SoundCloud and Bandcamp.