Album Review:
Red & Gold by Hattie Briggs – Released 6th
April 2015
Having been fortunate to see Hattie perform live on a couple
of occasions and with her 2013 debut EP My
Shepherd’s Hut earning her a nomination at last year’s Radio 2 Young Folk
Awards, great anticipation comes with release of the Stroud based singer’s
debut album.
Three tracks from her EP feature here: opening track Pull Me Down is about resisting life’s
pressures to change you; Still With Hope
I See relates to having the belief that despite a bleak outlook that there
is light at the end of the tunnel, and Share
Your Heart is a beautiful, heartfelt ballad about wanting to fall in love
but being afraid to accept yourself.
Most recent single A
Beautiful Mind, a tribute to folk singer Pete Seeger, suggests that Hattie
understands the value of words and honesty in song writing; a theme she carries
throughout the album. There is also a cover of Fields Of Gold, echoing the late Eva Cassidy’s version; an obvious
influence on Hattie. All the tracks are multi-layered with piano, sweeping
strings and guitar adding to the emotional fragility of the lyrics.
This is not an album which attempts to rewrite the music
rulebook and the untrained ear may think her too similar to other female
singer-songwriters. It is, however, Hattie’s voice which is as effortless as
breathing but as pure as water, that gives authenticity to her songs and sets
her apart from the rest. If she continues within this vein she is sure to
succeed. Thank you, Hattie, for sharing your heart with us.
Key tracks: Still With Hope I See, A Beautiful Mind, Share
Your Heart, Fields Of Gold
