Hilary Grist released Come and Go early last year in June. I’ve never heard of her before, but I didn’t mind this album. The album overall consists of music one would probably find in 500 Days of Summer; it was very calming and folksy, though there are definitely some songs that didn’t suit Grist’s deeper, jazzy voice.
There are moments when the instruments overpower Grist’s voice or simply don’t fuse very well with her tone. “Waltzing Matilda”, “With You”, “Damned”, and “Chemical Reaction” all clash with her voice. “Waltzing Matilda” has too much electric guitar and proves that Grist can’t really pull off the faster songs, especially on the mostly folksy album. This song is also one of my least favourites because it destroys the flow of the album. “Damned” is far too busy a song for me to focus on anything else; it’s very congested and somehow still comes off as blah. The instrumentals in “With You” really argue with Grist’s powerful voice, and while this is also true of “Chemical Reaction”, the piano here is a nice touch, not as harsh.
On the stronger side of the album were songs like “Fall to Pieces”, which is beautiful. There is a great coupling of softer, upbeat instrumentals that go along nicely with her voice. There is an unnecessary pick-up towards the end, but overall the song is good. “The Trade” is quite nice as well; the piano and drums go together surprisingly well. It’s a good song to listen to if you need to unwind after a long day.
Easily my favourite songs on the album are “Goodbye Ghost” and “In Dreams”. “Goodbye Ghost” really shows off Grist’s voice and her ability to properly piece together a melancholy track list. The song is also on the slower side and is one of the most unique on the album. “In Dreams” closes the album with a wonderful piano melody that goes very well with her voice and style.
The album on a whole isn’t bad and is certainly worth a listen, but I would have loved to have more of the slow stuff to show off Grist’s chops rather than have to listen to the faster songs she just couldn’t keep up with.
MMM ½
