Kid Harpoon - The Second E.P. EP Review

Kid Harpoon
The Second E.P.
Review

Kid Harpoon is the nautical-themed moniker of Tom Hull, a young singer-songwriter who has been acclaimed as one of the brighter lights of the "nu-folk" movement (is that a genre? It is now.) The Second E.P. is- brace yourselves- his second E.P. release, following last years First E.P.

The six tracks on the record display a deft imagination at work, with both the vocals and the guitars leading the songs off into different tangents; opener Riverside is such a seafaring folk-stomp concoction, the gentler introspective moments geed along by the driving drums and guitar patterns in the style of a traditional sea shanty. This juxtaposition of acoustic-led mellow verse passages with a rowdy, rousing chorus is a theme throughout the E.P, as apparent on second track witness the folk-style sing-a-long of Fathers and Sons.

The remaining songs on the E.P. aren't as strong as the aforementioned tracks, however they possess a certain amount of pizzazz and are worth the once over; pick of the bunch has to be closer Lay Of The Land , a darkly powerful piece in which voice and guitar are the lone instruments. The track is haunting and beautiful, the sparsely plucked notes ringing with melancholy abandon. It's the most serious song on the album- and also the best.

Generally a good release that holds the listeners attention throughout, Kid Harpoon has shown an ability to create intimate, introspective songs that capture the imagination. If he can keep this up, and does away with some of the more pedestrian folk-rock numbers, than his debut album is going to be a great listen.

Nick Kearns