"How Would I Know," the first single from the album will impact at radio on January 31st and will be available for sale digitally on February 15th.

Sunset Over Hope Street, is a slight departure from Hest's previous work. Ari expressed his self-challenging nature by taking his guitar parts and seeing if another lead instrument, like a piano, could take the guitar's place. The album is also awash with a variety of string arrangements and unique percussion parts. Also, unlike previous albums, Sunset Over Hope Street was created over a protracted period of time - more than a year. Because of this, Ari was really able to take time, listen back and edit – a luxury that on previous albums had not been afforded him. There were vocals, drums, guitar parts, and even full songs that wound up being scrapped and others added as the album evolved. His patience paid off and the result, despite this different approach, is unmistakably Ari Hest.

There are a lot of themes covered on this record; from existential songs like "Until Next Time" and "A Good Look Around", to the more politically driven "Business of America" and "Swan Song". One theme that pops up repeatedly throughout the album is the passage of time – trying to take advantage of opportunities as they arise ("If I Knew You'd Say Yes"), lamenting the missed opportunities ("Sunset Over Hope Street"), wondering if anything better will come along in the future ("How Would I Know") – these are thoughts that linger in life, sometimes motivating and occasionally stunting one's evolution.

On March 2, 2011, Hest starts a headlining tour which will take the singer across the entire country and Canada in three months. (A partial list of dates is below). Over the past decade, Ari has consistently played 150 dates a year, adding multiple tours in Europe into the mix in the last two years.

Share this article on Twitter

Preview and Purchase Ari Hest CDs

Ari Hest Tour Dates/Tickets

Ari Hest MP3 Downloads

Was it Good for you? Please Fark it!, Stumble It, Digg it or more!

Fark Stumble Upon Digg Facebook

...end