Hope Of The States - The Workmiser Harmonies (2006)

Longtime friends Sam Herlihy (vocals/guitar), Anthony Theaker (guitar), and James Lawrence (guitar) grew up in the market town of Chichester in West Sussex, in the late '80s and early '90s, and to keep themselves entertained, the trio obsessed over the latest Brit pop phenomena. Paul Wilson joined the group on bass around their mid-teens, and this expanded their love for music. He and Herlihy landed a development deal with Parlophone during this time, but they lacked direction and knowledge when it came to crafting an original sound. This changed in 2000, when they formed Hope Of The States, taking their name from Albert Deutsch's 'The Shame Of The States', the controversial 1948 book that ridiculed the U.S.'s unimpressive mental health system. Their image was striking from the start, with the band dressing in military uniforms, symbolizing their strict bond as a band and as friends, while also a criticism of a man's lack of compassion for his fellow man. With the addition of Mike Siddell on violin and Simon Jones on drums, the six-piece continued to flesh out their post-Radiohead rock sound, and their limited edition 'Black Dollar Bills' single appeared in summer 2003, packaged in a hessian sleeve, each of which was hand-sewn by a band member, and it sold out immediately. The band landed spots on the coveted Glastonbury, Reading, and Leeds festivals, and a deal with Sony followed in June, while the band's second single, 'Enemies/Friends', hit number 25 on the U.K. singles charts later that year. 

Everything seemed to moving along nicely for Hope Of The States, and they'd started to record material for their full-length debut with producer Ken Thomas, but in January 2004 Lawrence committed suicide, and the band had to decide whether to persevere. They did, and the magnetic storm that was 'The Lost Riots' was issued in October, to mostly enthusiastic critical acclaim. Reviewers praised the band's balance of intense post-rock bombast and anthemic post-Britpop dynamics, while criticism was directed at lead singer Samuel Herlihy's lack of vocal range and the band's dour sound. In April 2006 they released the limited-edition 'Blood Meridian' EP in a run of 2,000 vinyl copies, which quickly sold out, and this was followed by the band's ambitious second effort at a long player, with 'Left' appearing later that year. After standout festival performance at Carling Reading, and Leeds in summer 2006, Hope Of The States ended months of speculation by announcing their split in late August. Herlihy and Jones formed The Northwestern, who split in 2012, while the rest of the band formed Troubles, with Michael Hibbert leaving in 2007 to form Chapel Club, who split in 2013. On 8 July 2024, the band announced that they had reunited to play three gigs in December 2024 and were recording new material with producer Jolyon Thomas. It wasn't until I'd finished putting this album together that I discovered that the band had released a b-sides compilation to digital and streaming services in 2024, titled 'The Magic Kingdom (B-sides 2002-2006)', but perhaps the reason for this is that it was extremely hard to track down, and it's possible that even fans of the band didn't know it existed, so I decided to post this version anyway, even though it duplicates many of the tracks.  

Track listing

Disc I - 2003-2004
01 Black Dollar Bills (original single 2003)
02 Everything For Everyone (b-side of 'Black Dollar Bills')
03 Sts'ikfl (b-side of 'Black Dollar Bills')
04 Why'd I Let My Heart Come Last? (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
05 101st Lament (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
06 Static In The Cities (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
07 The Workmiser Harmonies (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)
08 The Last Picture Show (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)
09 Angels Over Kilburn (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)

10 Under The Wires (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)
11 A Horse (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)
12 Drinkers On The Dry (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)

Disc II - 2004-2006
01 This House Was Once A Home (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
02 Thee Seventies Song (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
03 A Heart Can Stop A Bullet (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
04 Hum (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
05 Morning Ghosts (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
06 My Son The Crow (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
07 A Rek (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
08 Silent In The Towerblocks (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
09 Boxes For Particle (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
10 Minifigures (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
11 End (b-side of 'Left' 2006)