Joe Hicks The Best I Could Do at the Time

Joe Hicks, finds sure, if familiar, footing with his debut album, The Best I Could Do at the Time.

Music News was impressed by promotional single ‘Mirror Mirror’.

The melody was bouncy and charming, as lyrics struck the right note between, being comfortable in one’s own skin and accepting life’s bumpy realities.

It’s a poppy, easy, listening tune, with a formula which echoes through the rest of the 11-track project.
Most are gentle, bright offerings as touches of the blues permeate the record, witch, adds to the light tone

Lyrically, the album seems preoccupied with its protagonists escape.

Weather with his head in the clouds on ‘Sail Away’, waiting to be cut loose on, ‘Maybe When It’s Over’,or looking for ‘One More Step’, there is an underlying sense that the protagonist is unsettled.

The set oscillates between falling in love, getting over, lost love, and ignoring life’s distractions.

In the LP’s early goings, the storyteller is being swept along by a tide of highs and lows, seemingly unable or unwilling to take control.

‘Pieces’ is one of the albums best moments. The hero of the song begins to find his emotional footing.

Hicks sings:

“I don’t wanna love you,
if loving you means tearing off the pieces of my soul…”.

With violin wafting through the track, the tale starts as an ode of woe and ends in a triumphant resolution to move forward. In a deft touch, the violin burst through the downtrodden guitar, to revitalise the track, and signal the hopeful outlook.

Each ditty is confidently guided by the charismatic Joe Hicks, who shows he has a voice for radio throughout.

‘Pieces’ showcases the Englishman’s most adventurous moment as he gets the chance to stretch into a falsetto.

While each offering has its high points,there are one or two weaker moments. The most disappointing, comes surprisingly in one of the album’s standouts.

During ‘Pieces’, Joe points out:

”Cause I’m broke, but I’m not broken, and I’m shining even brighter than the sun…”.
Disappointing, when considering that elsewhere, the songwriter demonstrates the verbal dexterity to fit “tessellate” into ‘Out Of My Mind’.

The album marks a good first step for Hicks, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Although there is no bad song on the record, the project lacks the anthemic moments that bury themselves deep in your head and take weeks to extricate.

It isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but a sharp hook is a useful addition when entering into the pop world, not to mention radio play.

Proceedings are also hindered by a musical backing that while enjoyable can sometimes feel too familiar. This has the effect of making songs seem as if they’re covering old ground.

Overall, The Best I Could Do at the Time is a solid opening innings for Joe Hicks.