With a smart blend of rock and folk influences, Remains/Reminders sees Chloe Hawes reveal themselves, heart on their sleeve. Review of a superb debut.
REMAINS/REMINDERS – CHLOE HAWES
To get a piece of transatlantic music that’s really grasping, take a British artist who knows their Brit-pop as much as their folk. Add a beautiful dose of contemplative Americana and blues. If it’s done in the right conditions, it can result in beautiful things. Like for Chloe Hawes and their new record Remains/Reminders. These blends, it’s the artist that claims them, and it’s only fair as each track is infused with these influences. Yet, what is most noticeable there, is not their songwriting, although it is impressive. What actually grabs all of my attention, it’s their voice. If the smoke in a concert hall could talk, it’d have this specific voice. Light, troubled, grainy, aesthetically pleasing and remarkable.
How does Chloe Hawes use that texture? Inspired by a horrible year in Berlin as much as queer love, breakups, and more, Hawes alternates between universal lyrics and revendications. Their first two tracks, Bad Behaviour and Forgotten Lips are naturally linked whilst their atmospheres seem to drift apart. Together, they forge a clear idea of what Chloe Hawes’ musical universe is. Melancholic and passionate, it’s humane and sincere. Bookends completes the whole thing nicely through punk-infused guitars. A fuck-off to a society which over-sexualizes the queer community, it’s also an anthem, a call to unity, for that same community. It’s a pretty powerful one.
In Catastrophic Misses (Dad Rock), Chloe Hawes does that, some Dad rock, with a base of classic riffs and a soft aura. Yet, it doesn’t lack strength, thanks, again, to their unique vocals. It’s a more modern rock that they then propose on Polaroid, a dash of vintage in their tone. They invite Katie Malco for First to Leave, get more blues on Fugazi, Hawes keeps their electric waves going on until the catchy Off License Lights. They close the album with Priory Gates, more acoustic, more restrained, more folk. Through Remains/Reminders, Chloe Hawes reveals themselves to be a wonderful singer-songwriter to keep an eye on. A superb debut.
