by Ron Gross from eBurban
Best known for her vocals on N.A.S.A.’s“Way Down” and Yeti Beats’ “UR Mine”, Barbie Hatch releases her debut album Hypertrophic Heart (hypertrophic means the enlarging of an organ, muscle, or tissue).
For the past 2 years, she has toured withN.A.S.A. (Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon) as their vocalist while recording tracks for her debut effort. Here she steps away from her hip hop persona and moves to a more alternative sound.
Hatch is a talented singer with a strong voice, and stretches her range onHypertrophic Heart. She moves from a grungy sound on “Someone” and “Come Back to Me” to more pop (reminiscent ofAimee Mann) on “Star” and “In Two”. The last track is an interesting cover on the Bee Gees’ “Run to Me”. The singer says, “I have always loved [the] Gibb’sharmonies, although this song absolutely knocked me flat. I asked my collaborators Rusty [Logsdon] and Brent [Nichols] if they wanted to work it out, and thanks to them I was soon singing my heart out”.
But there are some negative factors; the electronic loops and synth pads, although nicely crafted, drown outHatch’s voice on many of the tracks and you don’t get the full scope of her abilities.
Hypertrophic Heart is a good first effort, even though it seems Barbie Hatch is still trying to find her own style while experimenting with different ones. Vocally, she has what it takes to gather a following, but musically she still needs to find her niche.
Final Words – The music on Hypertrophic Heart is unmemorable, but Barbie’s voice will linger with you.
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