The new EP from Hattie Briggs "Come Over" displays her seemingly effortless ability to create a beautiful melody.
The title track finds Hattie, making one of her most commercial records yet whilst managing to use the minimum of instrumentation. There's a guitar, some percussion and a faint keyboard but the stars of the show are gentlest of melodies that hooks you in from the start and Hatties voice. The subject matter of the song is pretty straight forward.
"I spent this week on my own, turns out that i'm no good at being alone" and "meals i'm making for one or should be making for two"
"Everything seems better when I spend my time with you"
It seems so simple yet is so hopelessly addictive and immediately has you heading for the repeat button.
The second track also develops the theme of coming over, however in an altogether different direction. We are left in no doubt from the opening couplet as to what we are dealing with:
"The second someone mentioned you were all alone
I could feel the trouble coursing through your veins"
In a lyric of intervention offering a sympathetic route of hope and assistance, without ever being judgemental, the main driver being the feeling of needing to do something leads to some extremely honest and frank songwriting.
"Lately you've been searching for a darker place to hide .... If you carry on abusing you'll be robbed from us, I refuse to lose another friend to drugs". Stylistically this is something different as well the verses are at times spoken and directly conversational while the chorus that offers hope and salvation seems almost heavenly in comparison.
Two pieces of compelling yet completely different songwriting, that continue to make Hattie Briggs such a fascinating artist to follow.