Joe Jackson Hope and Fury
Released Apr 10, 2026 earMUSIC
Consensus forming 4 professional reviews Updated Apr 15, 2026
Broadly positive consensus
Consensus is still forming across 4 professional reviews. Joe Jackson's Hope and Fury reopens the familiar terrain of sardonic storytelling and melodic craft, marrying a return-to-rock energy with quiet moments of melancholy and joy.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
The Face
1 critic mention
“With “The Face,” he incorporates a small amount of Celtic sentiment with some heavy Latin beats, which makes for fascinating music.” — The Spill Magazine
Welcome To Burning-by-Sea
2 critic mentions
See You In September
2 critic mentions
“See You In September” is a beautiful ballad, and a nice way to end the album.” — The Spill Magazine
Full critic consensus
Joe Jackson's Hope and Fury reopens the familiar terrain of sardonic storytelling and melodic craft, marrying a return-to-rock energy with quiet moments of melancholy and joy. Across professional reviews the record earns a 75/100 consensus score from four reviews, and critics consistently point to a stylistic variety that shifts between punchy, guitar-forward songs and elegiac piano ballads.
Reviewers praise tracks that balance his sharp lyricism with succinct hooks: “Welcome To Burning-by-Sea”, “See You In September” and “The Face” emerge as standout tracks, while “Fabulous People” and “I’m Not Sorry” are singled out for their narrative detail and emotional bite. Critics note the album's political and world concern threaded through vignettes of English decline, without sacrificing the wit and melodic clarity that marked Jackson's peak work. Across four professional reviews the consensus celebrates the moments where songwriting economy meets pointed observation.
Perspectives are mixed but measured. Some reviews applaud the warmth and renewed rock urgency that make parts of Hope and Fury feel like a welcome return to form, while others find the record uneven when the material leans too heavily on nostalgia or weary swagger. Overall the critical consensus suggests Hope and Fury is worth hearing for its best songs and Jackson's enduring knack for marrying social commentary with memorable melodies, and it stakes a modest but respectable place in his catalog.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Welcome To Burning-by-Sea
I'm Not Sorry
Made God Laugh
Do Do Do
Fabulous People
After All This Time
The Face
End Of The Pier
See You In September
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
There is a warmth to Joe Jackson’s instincts on Hope and Fury, and the best songs showcase that return to rock with wit and melody. The album closes with the gentle, joyful “See You In September”, which demonstrates Jackson’s gift for emotional balladry. Upbeat moments like “Welcome To Burning-by-Sea” and the rhythmic intrigue of “The Face” make clear why many will call these the best tracks on Hope and Fury. Jackson never sounds like he’s pandering to a form; he simply makes the songs he wants, and that resolve powers the album.
Key Points
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“See You In September” is the best song for its beautiful, joyful balladry that closes the record memorably.
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The album's core strengths are strong melodies, brilliant lyrics, and stylistic variety anchored in rock roots.
Themes
Critic's Take
Joe Jackson probes English nostalgia and political gripes on Hope and Fury with a voice that often feels like a weary swagger. The review elevates “Welcome To Burning-by-Sea” and “I’m Not Sorry” as central sketches of seaside decline and an unrepentant, aged anger, respectively. It also notes that “Fabulous People” lightens the record with chiming piano and coming-of-age detail. Ultimately the best songs on Hope and Fury are those that marry his sardonic lyricism to concise, melodic setups that recall his peak work.
Key Points
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The best song work arises where Jackson pairs sardonic lyrics with concise melodic frames, notably on "Welcome To Burning-by-Sea".
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The album's strengths are vivid vignettes, pub-rock arrangements, and a consistent thematic focus on nostalgia and political disillusionment.