Homing in on the release of her 3rd album is Hattie Briggs, while a gap of 5 years between albums is not unusual per se, few artists will have released quite the number of tracks inbetween, with Hattie's count well into three figures. The enforced break through covid also proved more an annoyance than an obstacle and her weekly online shows have been a lifeline to those unable to to see shows in the flesh.
"Close Your Eyes" within it's first few bars immediately shows just how studio savvy Hattie has become - as we are greeted by an a capella studio created Hattie Briggs choir and although the opening line of
"We have the rest of our lives" is accompanied by a strum or two on the acoustic guitar, the soundscape is soon pierced with a sharp stabbing electric guitar as we venture into undoubtedly Hattie's most sophisticated release to date.
The first part of the song sees Hattie offering hope and advice to someone clearly troubled by events in the past.
"What you've done in the past should not define
How you see yourself now
Don't let your demons get you down
I can free your mind"
The chorus when it comes is a mixture of echoing keyboards, drums and that guitar but it is most shaped by Hatties multitracked vocals, underpinning everything to superb effect.
The song builds to a climax around the repeated lines,
"Don't bend yourself into their shapes
It's you we'd like to know"
with the musical intensity rising each time round and Hattie elusively speaking in the background adding to the overall effect.
It all goes to show such artistic development in both songwriting and production and really sets the scene perfectly for the new album.
Lyric Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCh7Q6xCjNU