Allie Hughes, S/T EP

Posted in Blog, Canadian Content, Current Faves, Music |

By Less Lee Moore

If you haven’t yet heard of Toronto’s Allie Hughes, let me introduce you to her marvelous self-titled four-song EP.

If the music on Glee were this fantastically original and diverse, I would be a devoted fan.

“Headmaster” begins with a frilly piano intro and whimsical Broadway stylings, before transforming itself into a more straightforward pop song. And then back again, and back again, eventually adding in violins and multi-tracked harmonies to create a magical journey.

Ms. Hughes’ voice is completely delightful; it should come as little surprise that she once sang her way into the top ten finalists of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, a summer reality show on CBC which aimed to find a Maria Von Trapp for the Toronto production of The Sound of Music. But she’s not just a pretty voice: she also plays piano, among other instruments.

Ah, so you think you’ve got Allie Hughes pegged now, don’t you?

The EP takes a bit of a radical turn with the bizarrely ambitious “Damaged Nail,” where heavy guitars and a rousing polka beat introduce themselves with much fanfare and Hughes shows off some wonderfully absurd Kate Bush-by-way-of-Sparks vocals. This is the song that will separate the wheat from the chaff; you’ll either love it or hate it and even if it’s the latter, it will (like Kate Bush and Sparks) likely win you over despite yourself.

Then we have the more straightforward, but still capricious (whistles and kazoos?), “Not The Stars,” where Hughes pairs up with the Meligrove Band’s Darcy Rego. The song not only showcases the impressive vocal talents of both singers, but also proves that said vocals go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Somewhat more somber, but still achingly good, “Rolling Days” is a fitting closer, with a hypnotic refrain and more lovely vocals and intriguing lyrics.

If you are looking for something unique and incredibly engaging, please check out Allie Hughes. I’ll bet that you will find these songs stuck in your head when you least expect it, in a way that compels you to listen to them over and over again.

Be sure to also check out a couple of Allie Hughes videos (“O Chad” and “Should I”) on the Southern Souls website.

Allie Hughes’ self-titled EP was released on September 28. For more on Allie Hughes, visit her website or MySpace page.