‘Beginning’ is the three-track EP from singer-songwriter Smart Hopewell. An eclectic mix of acoustic songs tied together with the common theme of mellow guitar and strong, albeit sometimes unconventional, lyrics. The first track on the EP, suitably titled ‘Beginning’ has all the makings of a good acoustic song, with striking lyrics and a good chorus beat. Aside from the mostly overpowering vocals on the track and mediocre mixing, ‘Beginning’ could well be the strongest songwriting on the EP.
‘Royal Safe’ is slightly more upbeat yet serious. Not many could get away with a line like “You can’t get on, you can’t get off using people’s hearts like toilet roll” in an otherwise heartfelt song, but we’re willing to overlook this lyrical faux pas, because with a first name as cool as ‘Smart’ you can afford to be a little quirky with your music. The whole song could do with coming down a key or two to fit with the belting high vocals but overall the track has a solid acoustic style and a bit of an indie vibe running throughout. The final track on the EP is ‘Star Ceiling’, which sticks to the acoustic theme, but with the strange addition of random drum beats which actually work well to give the song variety. ‘Beginning’ is a strong, enthusiastic first release from the twenty-three year old musician, with ‘Star Ceiling’ as the song on the EP most worthy of being the first single.
Check out www.smarthopewell.tumblr.com for music and gigs.
