121. Fifteen Minutes of Fame Recaps: Album Review of Hello Mr. Hyde by Stonehocker
Originally Published on April 29th, 2025
About the Artist
If there is one thing I love, it is passion behind music. There is no denying the passion that Stonehocker has when he performs, writes, and and releases his own music. It’s a passion I recognized in the musicality of his song Take Everything, which I reviewed last November. It’s a passion he visually made evident when I did a Blind Reaction for his music video for Hello Mr. Hyde. If one were to spend any amount of time reading and learning about this Alberta-based artist, they would immediately feel his passion.
“I am Stonehocker and music heals me,” is the opening sentence to Stonehocker’s bio which can be located on his website. Also, if you visit his website, there is a pretty fantastic merch store and news of upcoming shows, all in Canada! So, if you’re in the area, be sure to show your support and see this passion for yourself!
About the Album
Hello Mr. Hyde is the fourth studio album by the Canadian artist, Stonehocker. This 12-song LP runs at around 41 minutes and features the singles, In Need, Take Everything, and I am Divided. Hello Mr. Hyde released on March 7th, 2025
About the Music
Hello Mr. Hyde opens a piano-driven mid-tempo groove, Who Am I, which introduces an exploration into one’s self, as a person struggling with addiction. One of the first things I noticed with this song, as is evident with all of Stonehocker’s other releases, is his pure tenor range and bright tone featured in his vocal performance.
This is further evident with the next track, the title track, Hello Mr. Hyde, which is a progressive build from an acoustic-driven intro into a melancholic power ballad.
The third song is the single I am Divided, which explores the idea of a person feeling like they’re two people. References of two men sharing one soul; both in search of something to make themselves whole. It’s interesting, when listening to this song, I think of the philosopher Plato, who is cited to be the inspiration for the concept of “soul mates.” His theory was that the gods split man’s soul into two then scattered them on earth and the souls were at constant unrest, in search of their other halves. I say that to say, when listening to I am Divided, Stonehocker references that both sides to “the man” in the song are searching for something to make them feel whole. Perhaps, it’s similar here. Maybe he’s alluding to each half needing the other to feel complete, but instead, they seek addictive properties to fill those voids momentarily.
One particular song I love on this album is Going Over. The verse has a pleasant rhythm to it. The piano offers a particular timbre and Stonehocker’s vocals glide right into a comfortable place to complement the instrumentals of the song. This is delightful display of the symbiotic relationship between his vocal performance and his instrumental performance.
Final Thoughts
Hello Mr. Hyde is a deceivingly heavy album in context. I say it’s deceiving because Stonehocker’s vocal performance is very bright and very pure and the melodies complement his vocals accordingly. I can sometimes get lost in the positive vibe of the melody, then I catch the context of the lyrics of the music; like in the song I Lost My Mind, a bright sounding melody but talking about some of the more serious thematic elements of the album. Relapsing into addiction, feeling alone, feeling like a failure, etc.
Stonehocker promises emotional vulnerability from the very beginning of any of the music that he performs, and he is also very open to discussing these elements of his creative process when speaking about them with him. He embraces his trials and uses music as the catalyst to recovering from his more vulnerable moments. “I am Stonehocker and music heals me.”
Stonehocker’s a passionate person and a passionate performer. This passion is woven into his music. I think the healing properties of his music have the potential to be more than a self-prescribed healing property. I think they can be therapeutic for all who choose to listen.
Additional media content, like music videos, and live performances, can be found by subscribing to his YouTube channel and his TikTok profile.
As stated before, the latest news, merch, tour dates, etc. can all be found at Stonehocker’s official website.
To read the first FMOF review of Stonehocker, you can find that here.
To watch the FMOF Blind Reaction for the music video of Hello Mr. Hyde, you can watch here.
Hello Mr. Hyde released on March 7th, 2025 and is available to stream on all major platforms. You can listen on Spotify.
CD’s of Hello Mr. Hyde are available for purchase in the merch store of Stonehocker’s website.
Don’t wait any longer. Go press play!
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