“The first thing you’ll notice about Hannah Strumner is most likely her satin-like vocals, which will then lead you to discover her lovable lyrics and brilliant bridges.”
20 year old singer-songwriter Hannah Strumner has released her self-titled album after her famous lockdown livestreams and astounding achievement of amassing 193k followers on Instagram. Strumner knows how to draw in and keep an audience, releasing consistent singles whilst teasing her exciting sound she delivers on ‘Hannah Strumner’.
Album opener ‘Five Mile Road’ is very reflective of the title and album cover – the intro feeling like a nice long drive in itself. The beat intensifies at the bridge, provoking some of feelings surrounding the prime topic of a failed love. One of the final choruses lowers the volume, feeling very personal and profound.
‘Postcard’ welcomes us via a marvellous piano. The rhetorical question ‘Is this my fate?’ is asked during the first verse, instigating a sense of relatability and wonder as we fill in the equivocation to fit our own story. Higher tones absorb attention during the chorus, with plucks of guitar leading us up to lines foretelling the story of how this ‘postcard’ came to be a symbol of significance before another of Strumner’s minimal instrument choruses that showcase her voice comes our way. ‘Brown eyes’ is where we are met with an animated chorus build up. Such energy I find is reminiscent of 2000s rock and country crossover chart toppers. Approaching the end, the lines where Hannah delves into the concept of love are intriguing, acting as an encapsulation of the song itself.
Strumner lets us in on the behind the scenes of her album, saying “When making the album, it was around the time of COVID-19 and a recent health diagnosis for me. I told myself that we don’t know what happens tomorrow, and it is best to go after our dreams because we never know what could grow from then.”
The duet with Sam Henry ‘Are You Ready to Let Go’ has an instrumental that is nothing but a breath of fresh air. Emotions unravel concerning the past when the breathtaking vocals of both singers intertwine, singing the same message whilst on a completely different page if we look beyond the surface. ‘Lost Inside My Mind’ whistles its way into the album. Lyrically there is a breeziness to it, my favourite line probably being ‘Well, guessing that’s okay, don’t think you were my type.”
You can listen to the album here: