Soda Cracker Jesus – Hoping For The Best

Soda Cracker Jesus has released his latest single, Hoping For The Best. If you’re looking for a retro feeling 60s song with a modern take, then this might just be for you. We have been taking a long detailed listen here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today.

Soda Cracker Jesus is the latest project of UK singer-songwriter, Regan Lane. Hoping for the Best releases today (22 April 2022) on all good platforms.

Nominated last year for the 2021 Artist of The Year on Music Mafia Radio, Regan Lane is a man on a mission. With many other projects under his belt, Soda Cracker Jesus feels like a comfortable solo project for Regan. It suits him, and we feel that perhaps this is where he sits best in the musical world.

With a very live feel to the song, Hoping for the Best is a rocky, drums and electric guitar driven burst of energy. Imagine the Kinks perhaps, but heavier. Large sections of the song, and the general feel Hoping For The Best feel as if they have been very much influenced by the Beatles Rubber Soul album – especially Think For Yourself.

We like the changes in rhythm and pace. There’s some great use of silences with nothing but vocal before the punishing guitars and drums launch back in with another onslaught of energy.

Some electronic sounds in the background; sound effects, etc, bring the song into a more modern era, but it very much feels as though it could have been produced in the late 60s.

We absolutely love the rise and fall in this track. The first breakdown is just drenched in reverbs and the guitars just kind of swell around in your ears to a great build back into the song.

At around 2m20s you’re treated to a really psychedelic feeling breakdown that builds into a simple repeated electric guitar riff/solo that just keeps building and building until the vocals are added in and you just know that the artist is giving everything he’s got to the finish line. A nice stinger ending keeps the song at a radio friendly length of under 3m30s. Soda Cracker Jesus has said everything he wants to say by this point and you’re left feeling like you’ve been a part of something really special.

From a production point of view, Hoping For The Best has a very live feel to it which adds nicely to the energy. We’d personally suggest a wide boost in the low mids centred around 160Hz to give a little more meat in that area. A wide boost centred around 8kHz will give a little more presence and definition to the track and a boost in the high mids on the kick drum should give the kick a little more presence. Perhaps a mic inside the kick next time (if it wasn’t used this time) half way between the skins. will help give the kick some real power and presence.

If the Kinks met the Beatles and decided to go out for drinks with several 90s rock bands you may well find yourself listening to something like the rocky power of Soda Cracker Jesus. Great stuff. We look forward to hearing much more!

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