Hooked Like Helen’s sound is rich and powerful on their latest single ‘Promise Me You’ll Run’. Inspired by a notorious serial killer, the alternative rock anthem is loaded with memorable melodies and motifs, alongside a terrific mixing job, all making for one exhilarating listen.
Hooked Like Helen, a duo hailing from Sandusky, Ohio, is husband-and-wife Jon and Nikki Stipp who, within a year of becoming sober, relocated and inherited a studio, unleashing upon themselves a sea of opportunities. Their sound is known for its grandeur and cinematic flair, which is displayed in full swing in the video for ‘Promise Me You’ll Run’, an energetic and colorful affair that is as well directed as the song is produced.
The terrific production quality does not make up for a shoddy song though. ‘Promise Me You’ll Run’ is a tightly written and constructed song with a driving, triplet rhythm that contributes to the song’s whimsical, telltale-like quality. The melodies are wonderfully written too, making use of Nikki Stipp’s lively and soaring vocal capabilities, while the ominous, distorted riffs that mirror Muse deliver the whole serial killer theme home.
‘Promise Me You’ll Run’ is a fulfilling and healthy song that’s accessible and entertaining, while being brilliantly written, with just enough nuance for it to be thoroughly engaging. Finishing two tours in the span of one year and having global streaming services at each other’s throats for the rights to use their songs doesn’t seem so strange when you take a deeper dive into the level of musicality Hooked Like Helen functions on.
