Sophie Hanlon’s E.P,
‘Authentrickery’, released in September, 2010 to critical acclaim in the local
press and was warmly received by her growing fan base. This eclectic mix of original songs
spans a classical, timeless soulful sound through to somewhere between indie and blues.
Her
stunning vocal range, lyricism and sheer musicality makes Sophie an unmissable performer!
Raw and intense, but at the same time sweet and introverted - an artist of powerful
contradictions...
AUTHENTRICKERY Review by David Roberts
'...Well, I can’t quite put my
finger on it so I’m going to say she sounds like, and brace yourself dear readers,
herself!'
Sophie has an unbelievably unique
voice showcased throughout this album, AuthenTrickery. However, also her
compositional and writing skills are on display for the world with every song being
written and composed by herself.
From the very first strum of the
acoustic guitar on the album, in ‘If You Ain’t Got Soul’
I was sucked into the world of Sophie. Her vocal styling is both beautiful and oozing with
passion and emotion. It is almost a slow ballad but with a melancholic twist – with a
hint of country music thrown in. It reminded me quite well of Neko Case, but as afore
mentioned there is an element that I can only describe as what must be an element of
Sophie. The song ends with a slow scat section bringing to light her Jazz influences at
which point we are whisked away to the next track.
Alice In Wonderland, is the song
that young Sophie told me to pay attention to. And after a quick listen I can see why.
With a mix of trip-hop and jazz it creates a mysterious aura and coupled with the hookline
‘I’m Alice, watch me fall’ pretty much sums up the entire song. It’s
electro backing keeps a slow song from dragging with its upbeat rhythm and the short
‘breakdown’ section sees a choir begin to sing with Sophie as she wraps up the
song. It’s a song I’d love to see live and with a catchy chorus it’s
assured you don’t need to know all the words to sing along.
‘You’re Strange’ brings with
it some contrast with its swing-jazz feel and upbeat tempo and chords means that this song
is essentially a love song. And it is but from what I’ve heard thus far on the album
I know not to expect a stereotypical love song. And I was right. With it’s title, and
the sweetly sung vocals it creates an almost dark burlesque style of music – a hint
of dystopia in the lyrics, or a slight sense of abnormality being polished off with two
people who are strange finding each other. But alas he turns out be a bit of a dick so she
gets the hell outta there.
And that’s where Chemical Girlfriend comes in
– completely outta here. It is the most contrasting song on the entire album, and
sounding like something by Yann Tiersen, the meaning behind the song is as clear as day.
Heartache. The song itself is beautiful and Sophie’s vocal style brings with it a
hint of tension that anyone else wouldn’t be able to bring with them. Contrasting
with the beauty of the string section and piano playing in the background, the lyrics cut
through like a hot knife through butter. But it’s the ending line that sums up the
whole song ‘What about me, what about me?’ Extremely powerful and hard-hitting.
Warzone' sees the return of the burlesque style,
but this time a small amount of carnival influence joins the fray. Interestingly the song
takes a stab at the nightlife and the restless nature of the nightlife in a major city.
People going out, having a great time, and people going to clubs looking for girls/guys to
party with. And even though it’s a bit of a war game – they still return the
next week and the week after. The protagonist asks when the fun became so serious and
‘warlike’. The ending of the song is dystopic and reflective with a melancholic
twist.
And this brings us to the final song
on the EP, ‘Where
Did All Your Love Go?’ Opening with a nineteen fifties inspired feel, and is one
of the most powerful songs on the album. Two instruments, raw and emotional and one that
particularly hit me hard due to some things going on personally at the moment. The
intensity of the song can be heard through the lyrics and the vocal melody and has
something I thought had died out a while ago – vinyl cracks and pops. The song
actually sounds like it was recorded using old tape technology and it really brings the
attention to detail up another notch in my book.
Even the artwork, booklet and CD
ooze everything that Sophie appears to be about – being a little bit different.
Asides from the text and design of the front cover kind of reminding me of Avril
Lavigne’s Let Go , it still gives you an
idea of what you are in for when you listen to the album. The mixing too is one of the
best I’ve heard for an EP, with a few slight hiccups here and there but nothing major
enough that would make me not want to listen to the album.
Overall the album is probably the
best independent EP release I have heard in years. Sophie’s own unique style, coupled
with her slightly over-the-top quirkiness and musical prowess means that she won’t be
quickly forgotten in this world of sausage-factory music. It seems to occupy a theme of
dystopic fairytales which works perfectly for her style. Raw and intense, but at the same
time sweet and introverted, this album will have you begging for more long after
you’ve heard it for the thousandth time.
Composed and produced perfectly,
Sophie’s debut EP is a masterpiece that she should hold dear for years to come. More
Please!
Review Score: 9/10
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