Released:
Rating:
A record full of eternal optimism and wholesome joy from one of the nation’s most direct and soaring songwriters.
Label: Columbia Records
Released: 23rd March 2018
Rating: ★★★★
George Ezra went blooming huge in 2014. His debut album ‘Wanted On Voyage’ sold millions, he played across the globe and become a national sweetheart in the process. You’ll have heard all about it, and we’re pretty sure you will have sung along to ‘Budapest’ at the very least many, many times. So where do you go next, after all that success and the pressure of returning bigger and better than ever? Well, you do exactly that – with ‘Staying At Tamara’s’ packing a beefier punch than ever before as a record full of eternal optimism and wholesome joy from one of the nation’s most direct and soaring songwriters.
Hooks abound, ready to be sung along at the biggest stages possible – whether that’s the runaway gallop of ‘Don’t Matter Now’ or the glistening heights of ‘Pretty Shining People’ – everything about George Ezra’s next step is steeped in that feeling of hope and camaraderie, finding the golden nuggets in a darkening world. Taking that preconception of a songwriter with an acoustic guitar and smashing it to pieces, this is a pop record with muscle that grabs on first listen, flitting over jumping bass on ‘Shotgun’, ‘Get Away’ and the explosive ‘Paradise’ with ease, making a bonafide statement that flies straight into view. ‘Hold My Girl’ is the sort of track that’ll be played over and over at weddings and have hearts melting, while ‘Hold My Love’ fuses blues and pop in a manner that immediately pictures late-nights gathered around a band with whisky pours abound. There are even bold voyages that previously would have seemed out of bounds for Geoff, with closing number ‘A Beautiful Dream’ melding electronic kicks and mesmeric synths into a chilling finale.
More than anything, ‘Staying At Tamara’s’ is packed with confidence from a voice that’s taken the dark world around him and crush it into a cocktail that’ll have you jumping and smiling in no times. Yes, these are some troubled times and yes, there’s a lot of darkness surrounding a world of threat and fear – but there’s much more beauty than we can think. ‘Staying At Tamara’s’ is a reminder of this, with enough ready-made anthems to make George Ezra the pop star we need. Jamie Muir
