This is a nice EP, like really nice. Almost too saccharine, but not quite. It’s just about Americana / pop as opposed to folk, although Richy boy has a delicate voice and is often to be found on acoustic guitar; he adds other effects and harmonies to move away from the folk feel. A slightly different production and he’d be an earnest acoustic hipster singer doing Passenger covers.
Montecito opens and it’s about leaving home for Montecito. (He appears to be complaining his hometown is too small, yet Montecito is the size of Holmes Chapel {local village, one-time of Harry Styles). Everything Must Change is more epic in sound, albeit still gentle, with throbbing synth and some percussive effects although not much of a tune to hum (like a slow cover of a Blink 182 tune, themselves adept at making catchy songs out of very little actual melody). One of the younger Review Cornerers thought it was Taylor Swift.
Can You See It is perhaps the standout, with Jacques singing a little deeper and with possible potential for being a Let Her Go-style breakout tune. Like all the songs, he presents a welcoming sound; the music may have its limitations, but he makes you want to listen (assuming you like his voice). Burn Me Down has similar break-out potential, with some harmonies / vocals with shakers and a triangle giving it a festive feel.
The closer, The Book of Love, is also nice (“The book of love is long and boring / No-one can lift the damn thing / It’s full of charts and facts and figures / And instructions for dancing / But I love it when you read to me”.
Nothing startling but nice, if you like gentle singer songwriters, from Passenger to Bright Eyes.
