Hannah Georgas - For Evelyn

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 6 / 9 / 2016

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Review

It takes but a few seconds to realise that the third album from Canada’s Hannah Georgas is not only going to be a compelling experience but one that comes by very rarely. ‘Rideback’, the opening song, is horn-laden, Hannah’s powerful vocals reduced to an almost whisper and immediately captivating, “I wake up in the middle of the night/Thinking oh my God who the hell am I?/My whole life is gonna pass me by/I wake up out of my mind/What if the best times are all up?” When a multi-voiced Hannah sings that last line for the first time she’s guaranteed of your attention for the duration of the album; it’s beautiful yet strangely disturbing, a brilliant, affecting touch to what proves to be an outstanding song. The song, although basically just brass, beats and that voice, displays a ghostly sparseness without ever sounding bare. It’s a rounded, complete piece of work, an almost astonishing introduction to ‘For Evelyn’, and one that captures the listener's attention from the off. The downside to opening an album with such a unique, captivating piece of music is trying to follow it up with other songs that capture all that opening shot does but with the second track, ‘Don’t Go’, Hannah proves that ‘Rideback’ is far from the best she has to offer. The album is named for Hannah’s 98 year-old grandmother, her main inspiration, but that’s not the only indication that ‘For Evelyn’ is Hannah’s most personal set of songs so far. ‘Don’t Go’ was apparently informed by Hannah’s departure from Ontario to Vancouver but it’s going to tear the heart out of anyone who is living in fear of losing someone close. The song is again blessed with a captivating melody; Hannah’s vocals still possessing this whisper that’s threatening to break lose at any second but still dripping emotion from every word, while the soundscape that’s created behind Hannah’s mesmerising vocals matches her words for intensity. This isn’t the first time producer Graham Walsh has worked with Hannah and it’s little wonder that Hannah chose Walsh to assist with this collection; there’s so much going on in every song that in lesser hands this set of songs might well have been an unlistenable mess. The arrangements and musical backing to these songs are quite complex at times yet Hannah’s vocals, just one of the elements which make ‘For Evelyn’ not just a good album but a great one, are always crystal clear and lead the song despite so much happening in the background. There is a breathlessness to Hannah’s vocals which is appealing that it’s difficult to think of any other singer who has such hushed yet powerful vocals and it’s that voice which initially pulls the listener in but once captured those original, unexpected arrangements and nuances begin to unfold. ‘Walls’ starts off as a gentle piano-ballad with Hannah’s voice at its most fragile. “When I build these walls I build them so high” and “When you left me I was ready for you to leave” are given even more weight by the sounds Walsh is gently and effectively building behind Hannah’s hushed tones. If all this sounds too serious then one listen to a track such as ‘Loveseat’ will change your view. While still lyrically astute, (because of Hannah’s unique vocals and the captivating arrangements, Hannah’s lyrical talent doesn’t reveal itself fully on the first listen), there’s playfulness to the bouncing electronic music, something that’s apparent on other tracks as well, ‘Naked Beaches’ follows the same pattern, as does ‘Crazy Shit’. The latter is particularly addictive, Hannah’s vocals are again impressive and the setting of the song, clothed in synths, emphases Hannah’s lyrics perfectly. The fact that the album can move from such pop-dance tracks to a song like ‘Angel All the Time’, essentially a piano-ballad with such ease says much for the talents of both Hannah and Graham Walsh. The closing ‘City’, a slow-burning soundscape, is confirmation that Hannah has a voice like no other. She produces a controlled emotion that it’s impossible not to love and be touched by. ‘For Evelyn’ touches a lot of bases, unexpected ones at that, but quickly becomes the album you reach for when you want something different and of substance.

Track Listing:-

1 Rideback
2 Don't Go
3 Evelyn
4 Waste
5 Walls
6 Loveseat
7 Naked Beaches
8 Crazy Shit
9 Lost Cause
10 Angel All The Time
11 City

Band Links:-

http://www.hannahgeorgas.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheMusicOfHan
https://twitter.com/hannahmusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/HannahGeo
https://plus.google.com/10667313214615