Blues, Roots, and Rock: Hannah Wicklund Drops ‘The Prize’. Album Review.
Release date – 12th January 2024
We were looking forward to listening to the latest offering from South Carolina native Hannah Wicklund, and the 10 tracks of bluesy power-rock did not leave us disappointed.
Wicklund has been making music since she was a child and began touring at sixteen, and so she brings a wealth of experience to the recording studio. She also brings some heavyweights in the form of producer, bassist and organist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Daniel Wagner – both from Greta Van Fleet. Wicklund handles guitar duties, and what a player she is. Her chops are superb, and the solo she plays on ‘Hide and Seek’ – a balanced instrumental that slowly reaches a huge crescendo – is a definite highlight.
The whole album is dynamic with great grooves and driving guitar throughout, complimented by piano, strings and even a mandolin and carried by her powerful voice. Many of the songs have quite a ballad-y feel to them, but without being typical, her voice and guitar adding a roots feel and setting them apart.
Set in the middle of the album is ‘Song Bird Sing’ which brings the pace down with a slower, more acoustic sound but still has that powerful classic rock feel and sees Wicklund showing off her beautiful higher resister.
‘Can’t Get Enough’ wouldn’t sound out of place in a Bond film and is a five-and-a-half minute anthemic epic, complete with yet another outstanding guitar solo. In contrast the title track is slower and shows a gentle side to Hannah’s songwriting featuring piano and strings.
The press release for the album states that The Prize: “…represents the journey to womanhood and universal sisterhood, a beautiful representation of what raw feminine power and determination look, feel, and sound like”, and we agree. Final song ‘Sun to Sun’ includes the line “Make me work from sun to sun but a woman’s work is never done”, reiterating the message of this album of what womanhood and sisterhood is – “raw feminine power and determination”
All in all, The Prize is a cracking album and will appeal to fans of classic, roots and blues rock. Hannah Wicklund is also a superb artist, providing the oil-painted artwork for the album – a brilliant package!
Hannah Wicklund begins a headline world tour next month in the USA before visiting the UK and Ireland in May and June. We can’t wait to hear these songs live.
UK & Ireland – headline tour
May 2024
24th – Chester, The Live Rooms
25th – Sheffield, Corporation
26th – Cardiff, The Globe
28th – Dublin, The Grand Social
29th – Belfast, Ulster Sports Club
31st – Glasgow, G2
June 2024
1st – Newcastle, Anarchy Brew Co.
2nd – Leeds, Headrow House
4th – Bristol, Strange Brew
Blues, Roots, and Rock: Hannah Wicklund Drops ‘The Prize’. Album Review. @ RockNews
For more Hannah Wicklund see below
https://www.hannahwicklund.com/
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