8. Frank Hamilton - Started A Band
I bought Frank Hamilton's 2016 album Songs To Make Life Slightly Less Awkward largely on the basis of its title and a review that promised a young singer songwriter with something to say. "Because there seem to be precious few of those these days", etc. etc.
The first thing to say is that I don't think Hamilton will be bothering the Muso crowd any time soon. There's no edge to his songwriting, and the guitar and beats instrumentation is as safe as his most famous contemporaries (I'm looking at you, Sheeran). But there is a voice here, and he namedrops influences from Dylan to Morrissey to blink-182, The Streets to Bright Eyes to The Beautiful South... without ever really sounding like any of them.
However. We do still have an artist here crafting proper, guitar-led pop songs: fun and sweet and ever-so-slightly melancholy. It might not blow you away, but it might just bring a smile to your face. Like pop music is supposed to. I've listened to the album on and off for a few months now and there are some lovely melodies, and lyrics which continue to reveal greater depth. I hope he gets the break he deserves...
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