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Reviewed by Amanda Mills

Simon Hirst: Shining In Silver EP

Reviewed by Amanda Mills

Simon Hirst: Shining In Silver EP

This debut EP from Hamilton singer/songwriter Simon Hirst mines the familiar sound of light guitar-based pop that has prevailed in popular music for some time now. Self-engineered and produced, Hirst exhibits admirable skills in all areas, but as an introduction to his artistry it paradoxically seems a bit of a disservice, presenting four tracks that are too similar to show what his range and potential really might be. The best is Everybody Knows, which veers away from the unobtrusive acoustic rock/pop of the other tracks with moody tones, and a less uniform rhythm pattern. Thematically, the lyrics stick to tried and true imagery (weather, light, night, seasons, etc) that often sounds very similar to that used (very well) by songwriters like Neil Finn and Dave Dobbyn. Pleasant, uncomplicated, and reliant on clean, airy production techniques, ‘Shining In Silver’ suffers for lack of something that stands out. Instead the songs and production are too unchallenging, seeking to replicate what others have done before, and have done better. An instance where, despite his evident ability, the result would likely have benefitted from some outside interference.