#hirons

Album Review: Future Perfect – Hirons

Hirons, or more specifically, Jenny Hirons is a British-American songwriter and visual artist (just wait until you see her videos!). According to the press materials: Hirons cites Astor Piazolla (an accordionist), The Beach Boys, Elliot Smith, Deerhoof, and Rachmaninoff as musical influences. (I'd throw in High Lllamas, Stereolab, and even Phil Manzanera's 801 as well.) All of the songs are written by Hirons, who sings and plays piano and synthesizer. Additional bass and drums are performed by producer Michael Chadwick. Throw in Luke Temple's synthesizer on "Vertigo" and saxophone on "TV Sermon" and "The Rabbit Hole" by Marta Tiesenga and that should cover it all. But when you listen, it sounds like a whole lot more. This EP starts off with "Vertigo," a mish mash of garbled sounds with a bouncing bass and beat that is completed with filtered montone vocals. And the lyrics truly heighten the experience. "Slow rise, stars surround me; Sail on the stories you grow; Slow rise, bury the background; Leaving your senses at home; You are a stubborn dream; A dizzy firework, a fallen sign; But you’re keeping a distance; Pulling one over all of the time." It's almost a bordeline electronic prog rock number. Here's the video:

Next up, "Being the Cause," slows things down a bit, but another out-of-this-world poppy number that will have you singing along in no time. "Playing the child in a life that I write; Losing my etiquette, following my mind; Hope for the pleasure of being the cause; Purposefully decadent, color in the lines." Sing along to the video here:

Track 3, "TV Sermon," is a Sakamoto-driven, spacy, dreamy song that really catches the High Llamas/Beach Boys vibe, especially during the gorgeous chorus. "Here’s to a life never lived; Catching history, focus in time; Dancing in ashes, sing a folly hook; You are the world inside me; The strangest book in hiding." Gotta love that nice use of saxophone, also. Track 4, "The Rabbit Hole," takes a Looper(?) indie pop turn with its bouncy electronics. I love the lyrics as well. "Oh you are a tonic; Oh you are the sun, brighten my views; Oh you are the weekend; Oh you are a light, burning my eyes." More gorgeous vocals and an excellent saxophone solo really add to this one. Here's the video:

The EP closes with the title track, "Future Perfect." It's another beautiful number that you can't believe is all synthesizers. Lyrics remind me of The Free Design in composition AND delivery, "Broken drum, an empty nest; The future years invite me; I am flying now; Something free; Pieces of me; Other parts; Day reveals in time; In time." Here's hoping more is on the way from Jenny Hirons. I know I will be looking forward to it! ERIC EGGLESON

(Photo credit: Jamie Lee Taete)

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