British singer-songwriter Joe Hicks has released his debut album The Best I Could Do At The Time. The title of the album is incredibly modest considering the heartfelt honesty that was poured into each and every track.
The Best I Could Do At The Time opens with Sail Away which is punctuated by throbbing guitars and a pulsating baseline. It’s uplifting and joyful and lays the foundations for the album with unrivalled vigour and energy. The chorus of “Love is all I need, so come and sail away with me” is invigorating and goosebump-inducing when coupled with the harmonies and atmospheric guitar strums.
The pace is taken down a notch in the intro of One More Step where Hicks’ gravelly tones sing “I’ve been waging war in the darkness, charging like a cavalier” but the beat kicks in and proceedings take a distinctly funky turn. The Americana twist to the guitar chords really lifts the track and lends it an airy, summery vibe. Hicks’ vocal is restrained and effortless as he sings about finally reaching the stage of getting back to making music after being stuck in limbo during the pandemic. This feeling is summed up in the lyric “take me somewhere with a foreign tongue. And maybe then I’ll know my life’s begun.”
Maybe When It’s Over exudes a more melancholy air as Hicks compares his place in life with those of his peers and vocalises his fear of growing older. The chorus of “Oh maybe when it’s over you’ll tell me that it’s over. Cos I’ve been breathing under water, breathing under water” is a poignant ode to needing a push to be able to move onto a new stage of life.
Pieces opens with gentle strings and an extra soft edge to Hicks’ vocal. The track displays Hicks’ vocal range as he hits beautiful high notes effortlessly. It’s also a brilliant example of Hicks’ lyrical ability with the heart-wrenching chorus of “I don’t wanna love you cos loving you means tearing off the pieces of my soul.”
Lost In Love is a chirpy offering in which Hicks explores the happier and fulfilling side of love, so much at odds with the previous track. The off-kilter guitars and bubbly beat induce a spring in your step as Hicks celebrates all that is amazing about being in love.
Debut single Mirror Mirror opens with joyful, Americana-esque guitar riffs that set the tone for the rest of the track. The drums are heavy and vie for attention against the guitar strums which lend a joyous and carefree ambiance. These two opposing elements are brought together harmoniously by Hicks’ smooth and effortless vocal. The folk and pop-rock influences are palpable throughout the track and its overall sound oozes classic Americana. The chorus of “Mirror mirror won’t you take away my fears? So paranoid my reflection is showing the years. And a fortune teller told me I was gonna be rich. So won’t you show me a future that’s better than this?” alludes to a sense of uncertainty, fear and a need for reassurance in a time when no one had the answers.
Out Of My Mind gives off Two Door Cinema Club vibes with its pacy beat and chirpy guitars. It’s a summery and uplifting track that can’t help but put a smile on your face. Listening to the lyrics is surprising as the track’s core is about moving on from a past relationship so contrasts poignantly with the effervescent percussion. The chorus of “Yeah I got you out of my mind” stands as a sort of triumph and what the whole track builds towards.
Hand In Hand is another downtempo ode to a love that is unrequited. The chorus of “Don’t you ever feel like falling, don’t you ever wanna take a chance? Don’t you ever feel like falling hand in hand?” is moving and leaves you wanting to know what happened next. The atmosphere is heightened by the reverberating guitars and soaring chords when the track reaches its peak.
Alive exudes energy right from the off with the peppy guitars and jumping beat. The track’s about living life to the fullest and going out and experiencing everything that the world has to offer. This is summed up perfectly in the chorus of “I don’t wanna wait, I don’t wanna wait to touch the sky. I don’t wanna wait, we could be living if we make it out alive.” It’s a mantra that we should all live by and one of the biggest earworms on the album.
Make It Home opens with beautiful guitar strums that hark back to Hicks’ folk roots. Nostalgia is a theme that runs through the track with lyrics such as “I’ve been on a great adventure, heading down this dusty road” combined with the pacy percussion and gentle, twinkling keys. Hicks’ vocal wraps you up in a trusting embrace which can be especially felt when he sings “I will shelter you from the storm, standing by your side when the lights go out.” It’s a soothing track with a message of reassurance that no matter where his career takes him, he’ll always return to his family and his roots.
The album is brought to a close with Weightless which is all deep bass guitars and understated percussion. There’s a feeling of closure on this track where Hicks sings of knowing that one day his time will come to an end but if it did so at that specific moment he would feel fulfilled. It’s a track that makes you reflect on where you are in life and highlights the importance of letting go of things that are weighing you down.
Speaking of the album, Joe Hicks said “The Best I Could Do At The Time is a journey through many of the emotional peaks and troughs we go through as humans… It’s about acknowledging them, living in those feelings for a while and ultimately finding the hope we all have within us to take control and rise above the worst of them. The album is a real deep dive into all of my influences. Having to write 11 songs forced me to follow the thread of many ideas that stylistically I would have shunned in the past, and led to some of my favourite songs on there.”
The Best I Could Do At The Time is available to stream now. Find out more about Joe Hicks here and have a listen to The Best I Could Do At The Time below.