Smart Hopewell

Smart approached me a little while back and asked if I might be so kind as to review his recently released EP. I was happy to oblige.

‘The Beginning’ by Smart Hopewell is an interesting mixture of soulful sound, quirky lyrics, an accent similar to that of Bloc Party’s lead singer, brilliant interventions on the triangle, and clever musical composition.

It has three tracks; ‘Beginning’, ‘Royal Safe’, and ‘Star Ceiling’.
All have similar acoustic approaches, but creative and somewhat alternative differences.‘Beginning’ is easy to listen and sing along to with it’s cute and surprising triangle ‘tings’ and vocal echoes.‘Royal Safe’ has excellent guitar riffs, and while the lyrics may be a little repetitive and perhaps also a little baffling; “you cant get on, you cant get off, using people’s hearts like toilet roll”; with an accent like Smart’s you can pretty much get away with anything. Anything. ‘Star Ceiling’ is the last track and also by far my favourite. Again, easy listening and alternative lyrics, but this time jazzier! Makes me want to sway some.

All up not a bad EP. Having known a fair few people who have released EPs in the past, I know that when youre first starting out it is hardwork to be bold enough to share with other people something that is so dear to you. Smart has done an excellent job of putting himself out there, and by the sound of it, enjoying the whole process. Thumbs up for Smart! On a more serious note, he is really a lovely fellow - and you ought to have a look at his blog
- Everyday And Sometimes

‘Beginning’ is the three-track EP from singer-songwriter Smart Hopewell. An eclectic mix of acoustic songs tied together with the common theme of mellow guitar and strong, albeit sometimes unconventional, lyrics. The first track on the EP, suitably titled ‘Beginning’ has all the makings of a good acoustic song, with striking lyrics and a good chorus beat. Aside from the mostly overpowering vocals on the track and mediocre mixing, ‘Beginning’ could well be the strongest songwriting on the EP. ‘Royal Safe’ is slightly more upbeat yet serious. Not many could get away with a line like “you can’t get on, you can’t get off using people’s hearts like toilet roll” in an otherwise heartfelt song, but we’re willing to overlook this lyrical faux pas, because with a first name as cool as ‘Smart’ you can afford to be a little quirky with your music. The whole song could do with coming down a key or two to fit with the belting high vocals but overall the track has a solid acoustic style and a bit of an indie vibe running throughout. The final track on the EP is ‘Star Ceiling’, which sticks to the acoustic theme, but with the strange addition of random drum beats which actually work well to give the song variety. ‘Beginning’ is a strong, enthusiastic first release from the twenty-three year old musician, with ‘Star Ceiling’ as the song on the EP most worthy of being the first single. Check outwww.smarthopewell.tumblr.com for music and gigs.

Review by Caitlin McAllister - in the music >> short plays