REVIEW: Summer Hoop - Self Disrespect
After finding her footing within various Tampa Bay acts, the Floridian vocalist SUMMER HOOP broke loose to start a solo venture, finding breakout attention through a myriad of singles and local shows that would lead her to collaborating with the likes of BILMURI. Half a decade into this path, she is on the verge of releasing her debut EP, titled Self Disrespect, which promised to display unrestrained angst, fragility and, above all else, kickass alt-rock/dark-pop bangers. The EP is described as being an exploration into the struggle of wanting to be loved without needing to adjust your personality to appease another, and shows the desperate moments where self-sabotage ultimately takes over.
Opening the record is the full-throttle lead single, The Pursuit Of Misery, a punchy, pained song expressing how someone can acknowledge their flaws and struggles, but cannot escape the harmful cycle that continues to funnel them deeper into anguish. Fuelled by sultry guitar tones, fiery drumming and HOOP’s remarkably controlled voice, this track lays down an atmosphere that is uncomfortably honest about the experience of spiralling into your own mind, and the consequences this inflicts upon your own wellbeing and your relationships with those you care for. Continuing into a more playful, risqué yet vulnerable theme and tone, Shock Collar depicts the longing for intimacy, forfeiting one’s independence while putting herself down simultaneously. With a highly flavourful vocal performance and catchy instrumentals, with a particularly irresistible chorus, this song has no trouble rocking heads, though a somewhat casual structure makes it easy to digest without taking any risks. If one thing is clear by now, HOOP has no doubt in her singing ability, demonstrating heaps of confidence during every vocal run.
Mindlessly, the next track in the project, was offered as the second single, taking a much grittier approach, immediately coming on as an angsty, forthright follow up. Here, the voice expresses how deeply they idolise another, being willing to follow them mindlessly, detailing lots of religious imagery to convey this desire, such as in the line “I met god, they look just like you”. Much like the voice in the song, you feel an urge to be swayed by the allure of the expressive vocals and infectious beat, continuing the pattern of commanding efforts by HOOP. Next, the blissful submissiveness is shattered by an intimidating voice, flipping desire into disdain in Suffer, a song laden with fury towards someone who treated the voice like dirt. Picking up the power, the guitarwork is meaner, the drums struck with venom and the frontwoman sings with impressive flow, this song is truly the antithesis of the prior two, as though the voice has been able to self-reflect and is channelling that shame into freeing themself from this toxic person.
The post-breakup torment continues into Dizzy Dirty Daydream, a song that mere seconds into you already know was born to thrive in a live atmosphere, one that reverses the rage from the previous track to highlight a deep inescapable longing to be with your ex again, as much as you know it can’t happen. The penultimate song shows off a more rapid-fire cadence capability from HOOP, an element that once again serves to emphasise the desperation in the voice, trying to come to terms with losing the person she feels so torn without, unable to escape the thought of the girl who replaced her living the life she failed to seize. The graphic imagery and pain conveyed through the lyrics and vocals weighs heavy, with a powerful beat to accompany, making for a great soundtrack to let loose your frustration.
Lastly, we go all out in Tore Up, a song teeming with character and grit, embodying going to the club and dancing your cares away. Featuring Ashe Locke of GILT, this was a recipe for rampant vitality, with both vocalists bouncing off of each other's energy through contagious levels of chemistry as they paint the town red. With an ominous opening, the listener can sense the build up towards a kickass chorus, one that will undoubtably break necks and fling limbs in the pit. This electric finale is wickedly catchy, and will dominate any live show as an absolute rager. Self Disrespect achieves more than your typical debut EP, being a demonstration of formidable vocal talent, a fiery attitude and no-nonsense writing that already serves as a cohesive round-up of the best of SUMMER HOOP’s abilities.
Score: 8/10
Self Disrespect will be released on 6th November 2026 via Oxide Music.
Words: Paul Cutts
Photos: Mack Knox
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