Hannah Ayrault Releases New Music

Everyone knows that what sells most these days are country, rap, and pop music. As a result, we’ve had a veritable parade of female songstresses in country and pop over recent years. Many are content to parlay a bit of imitation into fifteen minutes worth of fame and some solid paydays. The music scene is awash with would-be Taylor and Katy imitators without the needed star-making machinery behind them to take them to the next level. Fortunately, Hannah Ayrault avoids all of that nonsense. Her debut release Me Right Now is something decidedly different from Top 40 paeans to boys and summer fun. While she tackles much of the subject matter familiar to popular song, regardless of genre, Ayrault distinguishes herself from the pack thanks to formidable musical imagination, sincerity, and concision.

It’s impressive how she balances the near-classical approach of some songs with her strong pop sensibilities. The title track and opening song is an appealing hybrid of pure pop vocal melodies and neo-classical inclinations. Ayrault’s voice soars and falls against a dense backdrop of strings and gliding piano runs. The lyrical content might seem simple to some, but that’s its strength. Ayrault aims to communicate rather than conceal and her honesty is refreshing and completely credible. “Mine” bubbles with infectious tempos and pushes itself forcefully along thanks to steady acoustic rhythm guitar. It’s probably the album’s most outwardly conventional track, but Ayrault raises it another level with an impassioned vocal. Her passions are tempered some on the following song, “Stay”, but the added sensitivity won’t bore or lose listeners. The lilting acoustic guitar lines are practically a second vocalist and Ayrault smoothly duets with her accompaniment.

She turns into full-on balladry for the album’s conclusion. “New York, I Love You” presents itself as an unabashed love song to Gotham, but there are other levels. In some ways, this is every bit as a personal song as the opener and succeeds in a big way thanks to it being grounded in quantifiable experience rather than nebulous musing. The EP’s final song “So Close So Far” revitalizes a clichéd phrase with her aching sincerity, but the backing is every bit as important. Classical influences rise to the surface once again with a luxurious string section contribution that gives the song added drama.

Ayrault will impress many with her debut and the national exposure will certainly reward her with new opportunities. It’s, unfortunately, rather rare for young artists to emerge so well-rounded and buoyed by a clear artistic vision, but there’s little question after finishing this EP that Ayrault knows where she’s going and how to get there. Me Right Now will linger in the memory long after the last note fades and promises big things in Hannah Ayrault’s future.

9 out of 10 stars. 

Hannah Ayrault – Me Right Now

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/hannahayraultmusic/

Purchase Link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hannahayrault

Cyrus Rhodes