Craig is retired Performing Musician and Actor. He contributes various musings for Circus Bazaar.
Norway – There is little to fault on Colin Hagens first EP. Production is tight. Perfectly recorded with imperfections to expose the subtleness of an acoustic guitar. If you listen carefully, you hear the fingers sliding on the strings. Vocally, by the end of the EP Colin will have infected your cerebral cortex in a good way. Tracks are well written. Beautiful mistake opens proceedings with a pop-rock feel. There is space in the music, and a diversity in the guitar tones. From palm muting, to the searing tones of a guitar around 2 minutes. There are not enough solos in modern pop-rock today. Vocals are prominent in the acoustic driven Love So Cold. This is when we first hear Colin’s voice stripped back and begin to appreciate the modulated, pleasant voice. Falling follows, another acoustic/vocal track. By now, the talent and patience Colin has with his song writing is clear.
Something New continues in the same vein as the previous two tracks. A gentle country fuzz returns and introduces us to I Know You Want It. There is a slight country twang in this country. The shape of the vocals takes a lightly different direction, highlighting the diversity of Colin’s voice. Make You Fall In Love With Me sees the EP out. Down-tempo, and timeless. The intro takes you into tender and well-crafted tune. There are subtle dynamics at times with tempo picking up in some of the vocal lines. As an introductory EP this is high quality. High quality production, song writing and a lot to connect with. This will leave you waiting for the full length follow-up LP.
France’s vocals are intent, holistic and purposeful. The lyrics are as they need to be, at times urgent, also reflective, on time or in the moment. The writing is mature and scripted and leaves openings for improvisation. The old school...