When the world of independent musicians was turned upside down during the lockdown, many musicians chose to perform online. One such was Chichester’s Hattie Briggs who performed weekly on Instagram for several months. Having spoken to Angry Baby at the time, it was obvious that Hattie was also taking the time to create and develop her music, even, out of necessity, learning the skills needed to self produce. As a result, her hotly anticipated third studio album Half Me Half You is released on 25 February, the same day as her London album launch show at St Matthias Church.
The songs on this album mark something of a different song writing approach, influenced by artists such as Laura Marling and Foy Vance and the Weepies, from the time I first met Hattie a few years ago. At the time, multi platinum selling artist Alfie Boe had just picked Hattie to support him on a nationwide tour after seeing her busk at Paddington station. Since then, Hattie has had time to reflect on her musical journey, saying that “although the pandemic has been restrictive in so many ways, it has given me a real chance to push my boundaries as a songwriter and develop my creative process. Recording more from home and working remotely gave me the freedom to explore my voice and spend more time on each production, even throwing things away and trying a different approach in order to do the song justice.”
The opening track, ‘Close Your Eyes‘ leads with sophisticated layered vocals that showcase the growth in depth of Hattie’s voice and wends effortlessly into an up tempo song full of danceability – I had to play it twice on the bounce, I loved it so much. The familiar guitars of Hattie’s song writing return in ‘Half Happy‘ and these seamlessly morph into the lyrical, melodic tones of the previous track and it soon becomes clear that the album as a whole flows as if it were one track divided into twelve.
‘Hey Love‘ is another contender for outstanding track; it’s an electrifying song and exemplifies the direction that Hattie’s music and production has taken with Half Me Half You. As with the first track, it’s really tricky to sit still when listening – it cries out for movement. The ups and downs of relationships are explored throughout the album, with Hattie’s usually perceptive lyrics brought to the fore in ‘Don’t Cry Until It’s Over‘, while ‘The Mountain and Me’ brings lyrics, rhythm and melody exquisitely together. It also shows off the range of Hattie’s vocals superbly.
Half Me Half You is released on 25 February.
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Absolutely love Hattie Briggs music