RED & GOLD - HATTIE BRIGGS
LCM ALBUM OF THE MONTH - MAY 2015
Release date: 6th April 2015
Some albums are totally addictive from the first time you listen to them and this one is no exception. What is remarkable is that this is Hattie's debut album and that she is still only 22. 'Red & Gold' has very strong songwriting and perfomance from beginning to end, it is simply put a stunning and beautiful collection of music. They are songs which really stick with you and grow better on every play. Here at LCM, we think that this could be a very exciting and break-through year for Hattie.
The opening track 'Pull Me Down' sets the tone for the album and is one of our favourites. It is a beautiful combination of piano, string section and vocals. A poignant tale of unrequited love.
'Old Eyes' another favourite is a loving tribute to Hattie's family dog and growing older together.
'Still With Hope I See' is a slower but stunning piano song. It is simple and yet full of hope. 'To Build a Home' is a sweeping and epic song with a great string section. It is a cover of an original song by The Cinematic Orchestra. 'A Beautiful Mind' is written about Pete Seeger has obvious country influences with are combined with folk like harmonies. This song could have been written for Alison Krauss and Union Station, but Hattie makes this sound her own.
The piano driven 'Share Your Heart' (now with a brand new video) is another track full of feeling and longing. A song desperately describing a journey of self-discovery. Another firm favourite. 'Happy in Your Arms', another sweepingly epic number, slow in tempo but full of purpose and ballad-like. It sounds like it was made for a movie soundtrack. Very powerful in its delivery and as with every song on the album, showcasing perfectly the accomplished and very talented voice of this young singer-songwriter.
With it's piano and sweeping strings, 'All about Love' is another stunning song, showcasing why Hattie is getting so much attention at the moment. Towards the end of the album, Hattie includes her own rendition of the Eva Cassidy classic 'Fields of Gold'. It is a brave person who tries to cover such a well-known and well-loved classic, yet Hattie's version is once again a winner. Her stunning and pitch perfect voice elevates the melody to new heights. Her energy is clear from the start, making it immediately obvious that she has given this song everything.
Finally another great song 'Godspeed' closes probably one of my favourite albums so far this year. Bearing in mind like 2014, 2015 has been a surperb year so far for singer-songwriter, folk, acoutic and Americana music, that's is a huge compliment to Hattie.
Hattie Briggs is a Gloucestershire based singer-songwriter and BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Nominee 2014. Hattie quit Oxford University in the 2nd year of her Russian degree to concentrate on her musical career in January 2014. Since then, her music has been played on TV, on BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6Music as well as many regional BBC radio stations. She released her debut album ‘Red & Gold’ on 6th April 2015 with a single ‘A Beautiful Mind’ on the same day. The album includes a cover of Eva Cassidy’s version of ‘Fields Of Gold’, produced by Eva's brother, Dan Cassidy, who also plays a violin solo on the record.
She released her debut EP ‘My Shepherd’s Hut’ in November 2013, and has subsequently had 3 singles in the iTunes singer-songwriter chart, including ‘Pull Me Down’ that reached number 19, and her recent, ’Old Eyes’, that features jazz musician Alec Dankworth. Key live performances include the recent Cheltenham Jazz Festival and supports with the likes of Grant Nicholas (Feeder), Seth Lakeman and Sam Brookes. She was also a featured artist in an emerging talent documentary by BBC Introducing In The West. She has been widely featured on all the popular UK e-zines and blogs including For Folks Sake, Folk Radio, Folk Geek and Timber and Steel, the USA's Val's List and three in the Netherlands, Folk Lantern, MusicMeter and Dekrentennuitdepop. The local and national press are taking a keen interest with an appearance in the Independent, a 4 page spread in Cotswold Life and a lifestyle feature in Psychologies magazine.
Hattie has just recently supported Kathyrn Roberts and Sean Lakeman on their UK Tour to much acclaim. Hattie is one of our LCM 'One's to watch in 2015' and it wouldn't surprise us if she was nominated for (or won) the Horizon award at the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards next year.
http://www.hattiebriggs.co.uk/