Drawing on the political landscape and her personal experiences, Jesca Hoop’s seventh album ‘Long Wave Home’ finds the California-born. Manchester-based songwriter examining the value of relationships, community and the strength of solidarity.

Album opener ‘Adam’ is a restrained affair with Jesca pleasing to stay together with the subject of the song (‘Only the wrong clothes, Adam’) against layers of vocal effects and subtle strings. ‘Now the Ash’ follows in soulful and poignant fashion, Jesca talking about how ‘everything drawn together’s torn apart’ and ‘ashes and dust to dust’ over the cleverly woven background harmonies.

‘Designer Citizen’ seemingly takes aim at the state of the world right now, talking about ‘losing my country’ and the adverse effects of a ‘strong man doing strong man things’. ‘Big Storm’ embraces a country touch while also diving into minimal experimentalism, while ‘Love is Salvation’ has a touch of Fiona Apple in its sound: ‘We share a bed in this feud’. It finishes with an orchestral, ‘Penny Lane’-esque flourish after Jesca has delighted in her declaration: ‘I say ‘fuck them all”.

The album was recorded as Jesca travelled the UK in a camper van and ‘Caravan’ may be related. It’s a deeply romantic song – ‘One kiss on the dancefloor and I climbed aboard your caravan’ – delivered in quietly powerful, folksy fashion. There’s a real anger seething throughout ‘Playground’ as Jesca laments how ‘He’s smiling through the media’, before ‘Signal to Noise’ returns to a more unconventional yet rootsy sound: ‘This is the land of promise meant for us, no others’.

‘Viv Over Drink’ again has elements of heartbreak at its core: ‘Show me I’m wrong about you’; ‘New friends are hard to make’. The closing ‘Long Wave Home’ is also tinged with sadness but offers reassurance that ‘You’re not alone’. It finishes with another orchestral flourish as Jesca explains ‘White noise calms me down, turn it up loud’.

‘Long Wave Home’ is a record that takes you on a compelling journey. Hitch your ride today.