Hope for the Hopeless
{{Infobox album
| name = Hope for the Hopeless
| type = Album
| artist = Brett Dennen
| cover = Brett Dennen Hope for the Hopeless cover.jpg
| alt =
| released = October 21, 2008
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| length = 42:41
| label = Dualtone
| producer = John Alagia
| prev_title = (More) So Much More
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = Loverboy
| next_year = 2011
}}{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Allmusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1426491|pure_url=yes}} link]
|rev2=Rolling Stone|rev2Score= {{Rating|3|5}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20081023150324/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/23459793/review/23589170/hope_for_the_hopeless link]
|rev3=About.com|rev3Score= {{Rating|4.5|5}} [http://folkmusic.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/DennenHopeCD.htm link]
|rev4=Entertainment Weekly|rev4Score= B+ [https://web.archive.org/web/20081017223218/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20233265,00.html link]
|rev5=Popmatters|rev5Score= {{Rating|7|10}} [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/67129-brett-dennen-hope-for-the-hopeless/ link]
|rev6=Paste|rev6Score= 65% [http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/10/brett-dennen-hope-for-the-hopeless.html link]
}}
Hope for the Hopeless is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Brett Dennen. It was released on October 21, 2008, following Dennen's tour of Australia. The Nigerian Afro-beat musician Femi Kuti appears on the album's first single, "Make You Crazy".{{cite web | title= Hope for the Hopeless: Brett Dennen: Review | work=Rolling Stone | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/23459793/review/23589170/hope_for_the_hopeless | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020044946/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/23459793/review/23589170/hope_for_the_hopeless | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 20, 2008 | accessdate=5 January 2010}} The album peaked at number 41 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and number 4 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.{{cite web | title= Hope for the Hopeless: Chart and Awards | work=Allmusic | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1426491/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}} | accessdate=5 January 2010}}
Referring to "Make You Crazy", Dennen told Rolling Stone: "I made the song catchy but it's about all the injustice in the world."{{cite web | title= Make You Crazy by Brett Dennen Songfacts | work=Songfacts | url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=12960 | accessdate=5 January 2010}} That song has a music video starring the American singer Mandy Moore. "Heaven" was the second single released from this album and Dennen decided to sell it also on iTunes. Natalie Merchant, the former leading singer of 10,000 Maniacs rock band, appears on this single.{{cite magazine | title= Brett Dennen to Duet With Natalie Merchant | magazine=Billboard | url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/267616/brett-dennen-to-duet-with-natalie-merchant | accessdate=5 January 2010}}
Critical response
Hope for the Hopeless received a score of 71 on Metacritic, which collated reviews from Entertainment Weekly, Allmusic, Popmatters, Paste, Billboard and Rolling Stone.{{cite web | title= Hope for the Hopeless reviews at Metacritic | work=Metacritic | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/dennenbrett/hopeforthehopeless?part=rss | accessdate=5 January 2010}} The most favourable review came from Entertainment Weekly
Track listing
{{track listing
|total_length= 42:41
|all_lyrics = Brett Dennen
|all_music =
|title1 = San Francisco
|length1 = 3:52
|title2 = Make You Crazy
|length2 = 3:38
|note2 = featuring Femi Kuti
|title3 = Heaven
|length3 = 4:03
|title4 = Closer to You
|length4 = 3:38
|title5 = Wrong About Me
|length5 = 4:32
|title6 = So Far from Me
|length6 = 4:08
|title7 = When She's Gone
|length7 = 3:40
|title8 = World Keeps Turning
|length8 = 3:01
|title9 = Who Do You Think You Are?
|length9 = 4:07
|title10 = Follow Your Heart
|length10 = 3:11
|title11 = Ain't Gonna Lose You
|length11 = 4:51
}}
{{Track listing
|total_length= 45:52
| headline = Amazon.com exclusive track
|title12 = It Could Make You Cry
|length12 = 3:11
}}
Personnel
The following people contributed to ''Hope for the Hopeless.{{cite web | title= Hope for the Hopeless Overview | work=Allmusic | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1426491/credits|pure_url=yes}} | accessdate=5 January 2010}}
- Brett Dennen - guitar, vocals
- John Alagia - guitar, piano, backing vocals, production
- Tom Freund - Backing vocals
- Mark Goldenberg - guitar
- Missy Higgins - backing vocals
- Sean Hurley - bass guitar
- Femi Kuti - backing vocals
- Zac Rae - keyboards, ukulele
- Joey Waronker - percussion, drums
- Natalie Merchant - vocals
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Brett Dennen}}
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