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REVIEW: Hein Cooper Shows Us ‘The Art Of Escape’

“Everything starts with a guitar and a loop pedal.”

Hein Cooper explains how something so simple can become something as beautiful as a song. With this mentality, we can truly appreciate his debut album, The Art Of Escape.

Hein Cooper made his start last year with his debut EP, acting as the first taste of what’s to come. He uses his folk foundations to create a unique sound that demonstrates his star power and individuality. He has left us a collection of songs that allow the listener to escape the troubles of life and disappear into a world full of life, serenity and bliss.

Not knowing what to expect, we press play on the title track and are welcomed to the wonderful world of Hein Cooper by a humble guitar. As a string of music enters our ears, we can feel the weight of the world being lifted off our shoulders as we drift away. The simplicity of the track allows you to completely take in his soft, soothing voice and really listen to the words.

His voice is so alluring that, even though the next two tracks Rusty and Overflow are more upbeat with so many more elements to distract you, his lyrics are still considered the main focus of the song thanks to his gorgeous harmonies and sweet falsetto.

As we tune into the heartbreaking sound of Curse My Life, we hear the way he perfectly conveys emotion through his vivid descriptions. Driven by a simple guitar melody, his voice is more than enough to tell us this sad story. We feel the pain with him as he sings, giving us chills from the very first line.

“We lock hands for a moment / You trust my heart/ But love is just a vicious lie.”

You can just imagine the intimate atmosphere at his gigs, where all the people are just singing along. If you’ve been apart of a show like this before, you’d understand just how special it is for a community of strangers to come together, sharing just a simple connection they have to the music. It’s like the feeling of when you meet someone for the first time and you just click.

This idea is cemented with sweet acoustic sound of All My Desires. You can almost hear the chorus of voices filling a small room as the people dance along to the folk-like melody. You can see the look of sheer joy on the artist’s face when they realise all of these people truly love their music as much as they do. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.

But if you think you have his sound figured out, think again.

Once The Real kicks in, you’d think you were listening to a completely different album. It has a gripping indie pop beat with so many sound layers over the top of it. This was when I realised how much he reminded me of Jarryd James with this unique expression of passion. Despite having more elements than the other tracks, his soul shines brightly, displaying that special something we’ve heard throughout the album. This was one of my personal favourites, so I really hope he does more tracks like this in the future.

As he closes the album with Luna Sky, we float off into the clouds for the last time. Although it is a short sign off, he still gives us everything we’ve heard throughout the other tracks. It’s almost open-ended, hopefully telling us he’ll be back soon with more of his beautiful music.

Until then, watch his Soundcloud closely for more.

The Art Of Escape is available now.

Image: The AU Review