Still just 19 years old, Sophie, who hails from Manchester in the UK exudes talent and attitude from the tips of her fingers to the depths of her powerful vocal delivery. She has been making a name for herself in venues all around Sydney in recent years. But how good is her debut EP – AuthenTrickery? Dave Roberts finds out.

I’ve always been a big support of local bands. Maybe because I’m in one, maybe because it’s where all the greats started. But the overarching problem with the local scene today is that there is nothing that really stands out to make a difference. There’s a lot of cover bands, a lot of pub-rock bands all doing the circuits either sounding like the band they are supposed to be, or another rendition of AC/DC or Cold Chisel. Admittedly you do occasionally get someone sounding slightly different, perhaps adding a little bit of influence in from Hendrix but rarely will it be completely left of field.

Sophie Hanlon on the other hand, defies the above paragraph in whole.

Sounding like a mix of Neko Case and…. Well I can’t quite put my finger on it so I’m going to say she sounds like, and brace yourself dear readers, herself. Sophie has an unbelievably unique voice showcased throughout this album, AuthenTrickery. However, also her compositional and writing skills are on display for the world with every song being written and composed by herself.

From the very first strum of the acoustic guitar on the album, in ‘If You Ain’t Got Soul’ I was sucked into the world of Sophie. Her vocal styling is both beautiful and oozing with passion and emotion. It is almost a slow ballad but with a melancholic twist – with a hint of country music thrown in. It reminded me quite well of Neko Case, but as afore mentioned there is an element that I can only describe as what must be an element of Sophie. The song ends with a slow scat section bringing to light her Jazz influences at which point we are whisked away to the next track.

Track two, named Alice In Wonderland, is the song that young Sophie told me to pay attention to. And after a quick listen I can see why. With a mix of trip-hop and jazz it creates a mysterious aura and coupled with the hookline ‘I’m Alice, watch me fall’ pretty much sums up the entire song. It’s electro backing keeps a slow song from dragging with its upbeat rhythm and the short ‘breakdown’ section sees a choir begin to sing with Sophie as she wraps up the song. It’s a song I’d love to see live and with a catchy chorus it’s assured you don’t need to know all the words to sing along.

Track three brings with it some contrast with its swing-jazz feel and upbeat tempo and chords means that this song is essentially a love song. And it is but from what I’ve heard thus far on the album I know not to expect a stereotypical love song. And I was right. With it’s title being ‘You’re Strange’ and the sweetly sung vocals it creates an almost dark burlesque style of music – a hint of dystopia in the lyrics, or a slight sense of abnormality being polished off with two people who are strange finding each other. But alas he turns out be a but of a dick so she gets the hell outta there.

And that’s where track four comes in – completely outta here. It is the most contrasting song on the entire album, and sounding like something by Yann Tiersen, the meaning behind the song is as clear as day. Heartache. The song itself is beautiful and Sophie’s vocal style brings with it a hint of tension that anyone else wouldn’t be able to bring with them. Contrasting with the beauty of the string section and piano playing in the background, the lyrics cut through like a hot knife through butter. But it’s the ending line that sums up the whole song ‘What about me, what about me?’ Extremely powerful and hard-hitting.

Track five sees the return of the burlesque style, but this
time a small amount of carnival influence joins the fray, with 'Warzone'.
Interestingly the song takes a stab at the nightlife and the restless nature of
the nightlife in a major city. People going out, having a great time, and
people going to clubs looking for girls/guys to party with. And even though
it’s a bit of a war game – they still return the next week and the week after.
The protagonist asks when the fun became so serious and ‘warlike’. The ending
of the song is dystopic and reflective with a melancholic twist.

The next, and second last song on the album, ‘Fairy Tales
Aren’t Real’, sports a dreamlike piano opening, and staying constant throughout
the song, The song comments upon people ‘growing up’ and people never chasing
their dreams. It’s a beautiful song that seems to be an extension of what
Sophie doesn’t want to be – she seems to have the attitude of ‘all or nothing’.
And this song screams that. Beautifully composed and lyrically superior, this
took the cake for my favourite song on the album. Dreamy, creative, and
completely different to anything else on the album.

And this brings us to the final song on the album, ‘Where
Did All Your Love Go?’ Opening with a nineteen fifties inspired feel, and is
one of the most powerful songs on the album. Two instruments, raw and emotional
and one that particularly hit me hard due to some things going on personally at
the moment. The intensity of the song can be heard through the lyrics and the
vocal melody and has something I thought had died out a while ago – vinyl
cracks and pops. The song actually sounds like it was recorded using old tape
technology and it really brings the attention to detail up another notch in my
book.

Even the artwork, booklet and CD ooze everything that Sophie
appears to be about – being a little bit different. Asides from the text and
design of the front cover kind of reminding me of Avril Lavigne’s Let Go
, it still gives you an idea of what you are in for
when you listen to the album. The mixing too is one of the best I’ve heard for
an EP, with a few slight hiccups here and there but nothing major enough that
would make me not want to listen to the album.

Overall the album is probably the best independent EP
release I have heard in years. Sophie’s own unique style, coupled with her
slightly over-the-top quirkiness and musical prowess means that she won’t be
quickly forgotten in this world of sausage-factory music. It seems to occupy a
theme of dystopic fairytales which works perfectly for her style. Raw and intense,
but at the same time sweet and introverted, this album will have you begging
for more long after you’ve heard it for the thousandth time.

Composed
and produced perfectly, Sophie’s debut EP is a masterpiece that she should hold
dear for years to come. More Please!

Review Score: 9/10