Musical Moments #3

Right, so under most circumstances I will not do track-by-track reviews of albums. I simply have too much to say about songs.

EPs, however, are another story entirely. Thus, this week I will go through a few of the EPs that might have slipped your musical radar.
The reviews will be sparse in content. I am not going through every riff or every harmony. If you want more detail, go listen yourself. That is kind of the point of these things, after all - to whet your appetite enough to go find some awesome music on your own.



In no particular order...

Hana Pestle - For the Sky

Overall, this album feels brighter than her usual tone. Not to say she's dark or anything, but there is a certain element of smooth light to this album - makes it fit the name, I suppose.
She's still got the voice of an angel, irritatingly enough. ;)
The song structure is her usual style, very rhythmic and more melodic than chord-heavy. That said, there are a lot of cool harmonies going around.

Track 1: Without You

Like I said, brighter. Right down to the melody. I'm a particular fan of the 'bounce' to this song. No shock there, really. There's also a wicked piano melody leading into the chorus.
Surprisingly, considering the brightness? This is a breakup song. A kind of sad but cathartic one.

Track 2: Pinch Me

Light guitar, light vocals...fitting for a love song, I'd say.
There's a bit of an easy-listening feel to this song, right down to the soft techno-drum with synth.
You'll notice I'm avoiding the lyrics. First, I don't like to review them...second, they are -just- fine.

Track 3: Trying to Get Used to You

I like me some synth strings. This one is more of her 'typical' sound (not quite enough new stuff out for me to say that with real certainty)  - beauty and darkness tied up in a light tone.
I always call Hana the lighter said of sadness, and songs like this are pretty much the definition of why.

Track 4:  Fight for Me

Here we have a nifty little rhythm on the guitar, and a very driving melody behind the lyrics.
If I were going to compare to her previous work, this one reminds me a lot of "Make You Hurt" - but again, with the brighter tone this EP seems to uphold pretty effectively.
There's a line, "fists up in the air," I'd say this is a kind of light fist-pumping song, yeah. I like the sneaky little guitar riffs that are interspersed throughout.

Track 5: For the Sky

You can't go wrong with synth-organ. You just can't do it. The title track delivers a bit more darkness in the tone, but just as much light. The balance is really delicate, and very impressive.
The rhythm behind the chorus is a bit off-kelter, in the way that I enjoy in music. I'm not quite sure how to describe it to someone who hasn't played jazz before. Suffice it to say, if it were any less precise it would sound late.

Back to the overall - the album is very acoustic. Not a lot of heavy guitar, not a lot of trap set.
Lots of subtle rhythms from the drums, lots of strings and light-sounding synth tones. A lot of layers for her vocals, in certain songs.

If you haven't picked it up, do it.

If you want a reference for what artists she sounds like...
I don't know. Sara Bareilles, maybe a bit of Tori Amos or Sarah McLachlan.
I don't really listen to a lot of this style of music. Hana is kind of my guilty pleasure.

Next up...who knows.

- C