EP Review | Jazz And Hot Damn Romance From Eva Schubert
Eva Schubert exudes style, grace, and taste on her gorgeous new EP, Hot Damn Romance. With the backing of a talented quartet, her jazzy musings meet slick guitar work and classy brass lines. Schubert is a clever, seasoned songwriter taking inspiration from Leonard Cohen, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald among others. Genre lines are blurred with Schubert, who mixes and matches different musical styles with finesse. Her jazz side is distinctly vintage in texture and she’s not one to take herself too seriously lyric-wise.
Breezy and cool, ‘Flying High’ starts the album with a nonchalant attitude. Accordingly, the song explores the importance of letting go, not worrying, and making the most of life’s potential. The tasteful drumming—courtesy of Mark Hundervad—is of particular note on this one.
‘Hot Damn Romance’, the title track, lands in the middle of the EP, featuring a sensual, sweet presence from Schubert. ‘Sweet Man’ continues in this vocal vein, albeit with a more energetic backing—groovy horns ornament her vocals, in tandem with sweeping rhythm and percussion.
However, it’s the EP’s first single, ‘Brawler’ which steals the show. It’s structured like a jazz number, with the trumpet and guitar trading off against sassy vocal lines, and the groove is impossible not to love. Many have noted the similarities between this chorus and that of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’. This is a comparison which Eva Schubert acknowledges herself.
In her own words: “…the lyrics on ‘Brawler’ are a character description from beginning to end. I don’t really think of it as a love song, but then again it might be!” To me, it takes talent and gravitas to bring your own personality and mix it into such a legendary track’s footprints. Let me repeat, it’s not ‘Billie Jean’, but, the similarities in the chorus are impossible to deny.
Coming off the back of two successful albums already, Schubert’s future certainly looks bright. Her rich, alluring voice is a must for any jazz fan hungry for new talent.
4/5
