Following his 2024 debut LP Backwater Collage, guitarist, singer, and songwriter James Hoare (The Proper Ornaments, Ultimate Painting, and Veronica Falls) has returned with a striking glimpse into his second solo outing under the Penny Arcade moniker. Hoare has shared the video for “Rear View Mirror,” the lead single from his forthcoming album, Double Exposure, set for release via Tapete Records on April 17th.
Shot in Marseille by Aurélie Vial, the video captures the song’s raw, spontaneous energy. “Rear View Mirror” marks a notable departure from Hoare’s previous work, trading his signature lush arrangements for a “less is more” philosophy. The track is built around the mechanical pulse of an Elka Drummer One, a vintage machine favoured by Krautrock pioneers like Cluster and Harmonia. By manipulating the individual volumes of the drum components, Hoare creates a hypnotic, skeletal rhythm that serves as the song’s spine, while the lyrical message remains a simple, cautionary reminder to keep an eye on what is behind you.
While the album isn’t strictly a “no guitar” concept, Double Exposure sees the instrument take a backseat for the first time in Hoare’s career. On “Rear View Mirror,” the focus remains on minimalism, though it features subtle flourishes from French drummer Jem-emmanuel Fatna on percussion and Max Claps on chorus guitars.
Described as a hallucinogenic journey through English psychedelia and lo-fi experimentation, Double Exposure was recorded on a 16-track tape machine; the album prioritises immediacy over perfection. As Rupert Morrison’s album notes highlight, the album was recorded almost instantaneously, with a simplicity and rawness that heavy overdubs and meticulous arrangements could never achieve.
“I was preparing to move to the south of France when half of the album was recorded. This fed into the lo-fi feel of the record; it had to be recorded quickly and that does give some of the tracks a demo-like quality.” Hoare explains.
It is an album high on vibe.
Penny Arcade – ‘Double Exposure’
CD/LP/DD – Released 17th April 2026 – Tapete Records
Pre-Order: https://orcd.co/pennyarcade
