As Lobo notes regarding his new partnership with Paper Bag: “I am excited to be working with Paper Bag. A couple years ago when I was going to school in Hamilton ON, I went to see Mappe Of at the Casbah and I was mesmerized. Their album 'A Northern Star, A perfect Stone' and their cover of the Wintersleep song (‘Dead Letter And The Infinite Yes’) keeps me company to this day. That was the first time I heard of Paper Bag.”
Tory Cassis, President of Paper Bag Records says, “Paper Bag is thrilled to announce José Lobo’s signing. We instantly fell in love with 'In all good Hope' upon its initial digital release with Victory Pool, and are tremendously excited to press a limited edition vinyl for release later this spring. This is a beautiful, distinctive album and an artist that will resonate with fans across Canada and far beyond.” In all good Hope is a masterclass in intimacy, everything about it exuding a sense of closeness. From the highly personal lyrical themes and sparse, delicate instrumentation, to the singing, which sounds like a friend whispering a secret into your ear, the experience of listening to In all good Hope is akin to entering an inner sanctum, or what Lobo aptly refers to as “a reverie of the quotidian." Originally hailing from Venezuela, Lobo has spent the better part of the last decade in a somewhat nomadic mode, splitting his time between his current homebase of Montreal, San Francisco's Mission District, Paris, and also Hamilton, Ontario, where much of the album was recorded.
Tellingly, In all good Hope opens with a creak, perhaps an old chair or some well-worn floorboards, and easily maintains this relaxed, cozy sense of presence as Lobo weaves through these hushed, multilingual songs. The bulk of the album is centred around his nylon-string guitar and mellifluous vocal style, which is always mixed right up front, capturing every breath and nuance. The astute listener may pick up a strong scent of bossa nova, which is no accident, as Lobo developed a great love for the '60s Brazilian genre while living in the city of Belo Horizonte during his teenage years. There are also shades of Tropicalia, bossa nova's slightly more adventurous younger sibling, and to that end, one might recall the similarly inspired singer Devendra Banhart and the warmly psychedelic "freak folk" movement of the '00s, Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso, fellow nylon-string player Jose Gonzales, Toronto-based singer and producer Sandro Perri, and contemporary Brazilian artist Rodrigo Amarante, whose solo and band work has provided deep wells of inspiration for Lobo.
Lobo says that many of the songs were written as "an homage to the morning, my favourite time of day.” In all good Hope will warmly illuminate whatever situation it may occupy, making good on its title (borrowed from poet Ralph Waldo Emerson's sign-off in his letters), and Lobo's vision of "holding hands with the present,” an image he found "so soothing, but also really hard to attain.” This album will make that just a little bit easier. | 
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