Local Winchester-based musician Josh Savage released his debut solo E.P, Mountains in Hurricanes early last month, which was recorded partly in his bedroom and partly at studios in York University where he studied. Josh has been fortunate enough to have had BBC Introducing air play, as well as being a support act for the likes of Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Feeder, and Reverend and The Makers. He’s certainly had a cultured and musical upbringing, having grown up in Paris, playing classical instruments, singing in choirs, and performing in jazz bands in his teenage years. Southampton venue The Talking Heads became host to his first solo gig when he was 17, and he has continued to pursue his music, clearly a big passion, resulting in the production of Mountains in Hurricanes.
The E.P comprises three varied and solid tracks, with Josh’s influences from artists such as Dry The River and Local Natives shining through. Kicking off with title track ‘Mountains in Hurricanes’, this song has nice acoustic guitar pieces, accompanying strings and memorable lyrics, alongside complimentary low and high vocals parts. The strings dip in and out and go well with the change in pace that occurs later in the song. It could be more punchy but maybe that wasn’t really what Josh was going for anyway. Occasionally the vocals can be slightly harsh but this is more likely to be due to the mixing.
Next comes ‘Figure You Out’, which has some pretty, high harmonies from Kirsty Rogers that blend nicely with Josh’s vocals. This song is very folky and wind instruments are an addition which definitely work well. The chorus has a great catchy hook. ‘Take Off Your Shackles’, is the last song and my personal favourite on the E.P as it really brings out Josh’s gentle, folk style vocals and the poetic lyrics. The drums add a punch to the song, giving it more of a clear transition as it progresses and, again, the characteristic strings are a nice accompaniment.
Overall ‘Mountains in Hurricanes’ is a lovely piece of music overall and makes for very pleasant listening. The colourful and abstract album artwork is great and worth a mention. The debut E.P is available to purchase and listen to on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. Josh will be playing at Blissfields festival so definitely one to check out if you’ll be there!
7/10
