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Jul 30, 2020 Web Exclusive By Haydon Spenceley

Sometimes music comes along and surprises you out of the blue. An artist that is new to you comes across your path, you press play on the recommendation of a friend, and then as you listen to the artist for the first time, it feels like all the cares and worries of lockdown life fade away for a few short moments. That’s what happened to me the first time I heard Zander Hawley. In my case the song I was listening to was “Thumbs,” one of the tracks on this truly beautiful EP. Upon hearing it, a deep dive of the Internet revealed that Hawley was formally part of a duo named Honeywater, has a fine album from 2017 under his belt, and has recently released a bunch of singles. 2020 appears to be his year.

What you get when you listen to the EP are four songs of gentle beauty. They’re wonderfully produced, tastefully orchestrated, and all featuring Hawley’s voice, which manages to convey both passion and understated control. Whether on “Red Coats,” which sets the scene beautifully, or on the more driving “Katia,” something about these four songs speaks of an artist finding his feet and range and setting up for a great salvo on the ears and hearts of America and the world. These are achingly beautiful songs that leave you craving more. (www.facebook.com/enterausernamethatisntalreadytaken)

Author rating: 7.5/10