Some artists seem to tack lyrics onto the music they make, almost as a sonic afterthought, just a necessary space filler. Others often seem to merely write music as a way of propelling the words they have written. Sano Hill is one of those rare beasts that seems to think deeply about both aspects. It’s the sound of a singer-songwriter understanding the impact of the full band sound or a band player aware of the power of engaging and poetic lyrics and beguiling narratives. And that makes him an intriguing prospect indeed.
If Not Now, When? is an album made in the mold of so many artists that I love, a touch of David Gray’s pop accessibility, a soupçon of Neil Finn’s romance and mystique, a slight echo of Elvis Costello’s outsiderness, and does anyone remember the scope and grandeur of Energy Orchard? That’s in there too. But, like all good singer-songwriters, it is Hill’s own personality that is writ large throughout.
You know that any album that starts with a track as consummate and compelling as “Time Out” will be a heady ride. And so it proves to be. “Beautiful” is a gentle lilting ballad, romantic in a way that is both believable and relatable and which evokes a sense of place as well as passion. “Love Story” is lush and cinematic, quirky and slightly funky and “No Romeo” pushes somewhat into darker territory but sticks closer to the sonic spaces inhabited by the likes of Damien Rice rather than, say, Nick Cave, and artist that I know Hill admires. The album’s swansong “Sing Out Loud” rounds things off perfectly; slashes of guitar explode into tumbling drum patterns, and a neat folk-rock sensibility and an anthemic desire overtake the delicacy of its starting point. It’s a song that sums up everything that has gone before brilliantly.
What a cracking album! It has a perfect delivery, plenty of genre-hopping, honest narratives, and accessible music. But more than that, it is a set of fantastic songs. And that is all that really matters. Dontchathink?
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