Review: Hazel Genevieve - 'Inherit the Earth'
What can I say about Hazel’s debut EP that doesn’t sound like an overstatement? It’s just brilliant. I genuinely think it’s a masterclass in the power of the human spirit. Indeed, Hazel has a power here that’s often quiet, steadfast, and mighty all at the same time.
Track one, ‘To Those Who’ll Inherit the Earth’ begins with birdsong and a lone guitar, and has a subtle musical build towards something magical. Hazel’s genuinely poetic lyrics - which are a work of art unto themselves - galvanise the song’s message and add depth to an already beautifully thoughtful song. To begin with, Hazel is singing to a younger sibling and then latterly more widely to the future of humanity itself with a message robustly about protecting the future of the planet we live on - it’s a call to action but also ultimately hopeful. As the lush harmonies alternate between two harmonic homes through more grounded and ambiguous sounds, and the vocals showcase Hazel’s incredible range, the song moves organically between the personal and the profound with ease.
The second track, ‘The Beacon’ is a real showcase for both Hazel’s incredible vocals and lyrical abilities, as well as the artful way in which she relates this to the compositional colour of her songs. Here she nimbly treads the line between a classical, folk and pop style of singing accompanied by a gently undulating piano accompaniment and an incredibly powerful and expressive viola line. Even the overtones and harmonies feel perfectly aligned, helping this song to pack a real emotional punch. I’ll talk a bit more about this later, but this is a great example of a song that does a lot with a little - just piano, vocals and viola paired with an immense talent and genuine feeling is as powerful, if not more so, than any grand orchestration could ever be.
Next is ‘Old Willow’, which is a meditation on death, but as Hazel often says if you’ve seen her perform live, ‘in a nice way’. It is a kaleidoscopic exploration of the beauty of life and nature and finding peace and contentment in the fact that nothing can be fully known, but also suggests that many unknowable things can be experienced. It’s Hazel at her poetic best, I think, both lyrically and musically. This song strikes the perfect balance of moods and tones, evoking a sort of natural power and imagery in dealing, quietly, with one of the most complex and pervasive aspects of human nature.
The final track is ‘Fade’ - if anyone ever disrespects the viola again after hearing this, they are wrong. Hazel is a force to be reckoned with here, with a song that seems to, fittingly, be Hazel reckoning with herself. She has made the deliberate choice for this one to just be viola and voice - and this is what I meant when I talked about doing a lot with a little. It would have been so tempting to show off with a complex orchestration here but the version we get is inevitably the best and most powerful one.
Somehow in four tracks, Hazel has managed to encompass more of the human condition, spirit and soul as well as musical creativity and variety than many artists do in the entirety of their career. This is honestly a masterpiece - I can’t wait to see what she does next.
‘Inherit the Earth’ is available now on all your main streaming platforms and on Bandcamp here: https://hazelgenevieve.bandcamp.com/album/inherit-the-earth