Hopeful Romantic
Self-Released, 2023
10/10
The Nashville singer-songwriter Claire Kelly returns with a quick EP, where her optimism fuels songs about the kindness and love that she chooses to use as her weapons against a world that can seem defeating.
“Tapestry” opens the listen with Kelly’s sweet voice and warm acoustic guitar making for a very heartfelt approach of folk inspired beauty, and “Taxes & Laundry” follows with bright storytelling that unfolds with much grace and a stirring atmosphere to complement the poetic singing.
“Drunk Girls” and “Hopeful Romantic” land in the middle, where the former strums with a gentle melody as Kelly discusses the lack of kindness that exists today, while the latter is a fuller tune of smooth and harmonic country rock.
Close to the end, the live “Joni Mitchell” doesn’t sound any different from the studio tracks, where Kelly’s eloquent and flawless voice is paired with emotive guitar playing, and the final track, “Heaven’s In The Details”, welcomes gorgeous strings to accompany the sincere, gripping exit.
Kelly’s work has landed on network TV, HBO, reality TV and the Miss Universe Pageant. Ideally, too, it should reside in the speakers of anyone with an ear for folk, country, Americana and singer-songwriter sounds, as she is one of the best songwriters right now.
Travels well with: Megan Lacy- Salvation; Teghan Devon- Little Lion