Hey Ed, This Review's For You
Ed Harcourt - what a guy. Singer-songwriters were never too keen on composing the sort of hard rock songs that get you Kerrang! airplay, and Ed is no exception. His upcoming single is a delightful little piece of music that shows off his songwriting skills exceptionally. It's somewhat appropriate that this single is being released by "Heavenly Recordings".
After opening with some chorus-effect guitars, the slow-jazz style drumming kicks the song into life and sets it off on its steady yet beautiful journey. Ed's voice is captivating, even if his smooth legato-style vocals sometimes remind you of the country and western singers of old - the bassline of the song doesn't help to swing the song away from that Deep South style either. The trumpet in the background also continues the jazz references that were started by the drumming. Country and jazz mixed together may seem like an awkward combination, but they're mainly only subtle hints in the background of the song whilst Ed's vocals tie the piece together and set its genre as simply one of those beautiful ballads that everyone subconsciously remembers for the rest of their days.
Commenting on the fact that this song was recorded in just one take, with all the instruments playing together, Ed says that this "makes it all the more special for me, because I'm such a perfectionist." Mind you, he also says, "I see this song as a romantic drinking song," so be sure to buy this single and have a drink in his honour.