Bold choices, strong hooks, and a week’s worth of pop rock worth turning up.
Ho Jo Fro – When Did You Knock?
Ho Jo Fro’s “When Did You Knock?” is a lovely piece of chamber folk-pop: no bass, no drums, just cello, rhythmic knocks and two voices making that absence feel wonderfully full.
“When Did You Knock?” deliberately strips out both bass guitar and drums, replacing the low end with the clear talents of cellist Brianna Tam, whose soundtrack credits give her playing a particular cinematic gravity. The rhythmic pulse comes instead from literal knocking sounds created by vocalist Paul Derringer and guitarist/engineer Tim Ryan, an audible metaphor built directly into the arrangement. Backing vocals from Kleidi Buroz of Caracas add a third voice that underlines the emotional exposure in the lyric: “Watch me dive into your pit of despair. And when I do, will I find you?” The result is a wonderful, quirky piece that really captures a mood wonderfully.
Ho Jo Fro is the recording alter ego of Paul Derringer, formerly Paul R Johnson, based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Derringer is one of four co-hosts of Derringer Discoveries, a global music podcast now in its sixth year, which has shaped his ear for what makes a song worth attention. His collaborators here are spread across California and Venezuela, assembled remotely around a track that required exactly the right hands for each part. We really love this, and I hope there’s more up Ho Jo Fro’s sleeve. A great single.