If you haven’t already heard of Hazel Mei, you should probably be feeling like a bit of a fool. Blossoming from the creative boom that has been happening in Brisbane lately, comes a singer-songwriter with the class and ability of industry royalty. Forecasting her first full body of work sometime this year, this first single hints towards the spell-binding craftswoman-ship Hazel proposes to wield.
Smokey around the edge with a warm-bodied intimacy drawing you in, Fool is the first single from Hazel Mei’s upcoming EP.
Just as the photograph above indicates, Hazel Mei knows herself. Striking and sassy, but with all the timelessness of black and white simplicity, Fool is full of seduction. Opening with the crystallised prettiness of a wind chime, the three-and-a-half-minute track wastes no time with trickery. Jazz inspired, listless drums pave way for her vocals to pour themselves over. Syrupy yet demanding of a curious ear, you can hear the echoes of her neo-soul favourite, Norah Jones.
She’s not shy in taking risks, Hazel incorporates bluesy organ-like keys and a throbbing bass guitar to the track. Fleshing out the track furthermore with quirky wooden tapping sounds, there’s never a lull in Fool’s arrangement. And whilst the alternative choices are cheeky and endearing, her ever-present vocal display leaves you in awe
Groove-laden and drenched in a feminist empowerment, her lyrics are pointed and spirited. A poetic tease, Hazel confesses, “Such a fool/I’ve been using you. It’s not new/If I tell the truth. You let me in the front door/More times than a few. Such for wanting more. I bet you want more. It’s dangerous. It’s dangerous”
Having grown up with the classics, including the songwriting mastery of The Beatles, Hazel has combined her talent on the piano with her passion to write. For her it’s an all-encompassing process from start to finish, cradling and aiding each song through production.
We can’t wait to indulge in the full EP, yet to be announced with a release date. Hazel has offered up an illicitly desirable slice of what’s to come.
