\nI\u2019d love to hear Johnny Cash do one of my songs, his interpretation of those songs on the American series before he died was some of the best performances of songs I\u2019ve ever heard.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It’d be incredible to know what Cash would think of songs such as ‘Chapel of Unrest’, or song 4, ‘Unlit Flame’. Using Biblical allusions in this song, as he’s done in many of his other songs, his lyrical acumen is extraordinary:<\/p>\n
\n“One of these days\/I will see your soul radiate\/I will see you roll your stone away\/But until that day\/I shall remain\/An unlit flame.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is our favourite song on the EP: the fingers sliding along the strings on the guitar’s fretboard; Charlie’s voice marching in time to the music, and his soaring vocals on the chorus. Lyrically (and sometimes vocally) he reminds us\u00a0of Australian Country Gospel singer songwriter, Steve Grace, who similarly sings songs from the heart. It’s a song of joy, of new life:<\/p>\n
\nOut of the darkness\/Into the light\/Up through the surface\/I\u2019ll watch you rise.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nFinal song on the EP, ‘Animal’, finds Charlie Hole channeling Ed Sheeran. A soft, gentle song, with the singer\u00a0seemingly having lost direction,\u00a0wondering which way to go. He is chiding himself about the decisions he’s made.<\/p>\n
Lance Freed, Chairman of Rondor\/Universal Music Publishing in Los Angeles, heard Charlie Hole\u2019s music and\u00a0said \u201cI\u2019ll sign him but he has to finish school first!\u201d Charlie finished school. He got the record deal. So far as we can tell from this album, where he is now is in a very good place, and the future looks very bright indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Charlie](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Charlie-Hole-2.jpeg?resize=316%2C395&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
Catch Charlie Hole at the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n1 March, London, The Garage<\/a>\u00a0(‘Dirty Little Secret’ launch event)<\/p>\nMarch Tour Dates With Callaghan<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\nThu, 3 UK, Derby, The Venue<\/a>
\nSat, 5 UK, York, The Basement\u00a0<\/a>
\nWed, 9 UK, Edinburgh, The Voodoo Room<\/a>
\nThu, 10 UK, Manchester, Fallow Cafe<\/a>
\nFri, 11 UK, Totnes, South Devon Arts Centre<\/a>
\nMon, 14 UK, Birmingham, The Sunflower Lounge<\/a>
\nWed, 16 UK, London, The Forge\u00a0<\/a>
\nFri, 18 UK, Ramsgate, Ramsgate Music Hall<\/a>
\nSat, 19 UK, North Lincolnshire, Kirton in Lindsey Town Hall<\/a><\/p>\nFind Charlie Hole online on his official\u00a0Website<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We review Charlie Hole’s EP, ‘Dirty Little Secret’, ahead of his launch tonight at The Garage, London.<\/p>\n
![\"charlie-hole-intro-pic-1\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/charlie-hole-intro-pic-1.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"Charlie](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Charlie-Hole-1.jpeg?resize=640%2C640&ssl=1\")
Charlie Hole is only 23, and one wonders what his life has been to be able to write on such topics. Case in point, song 3, ‘Chapel of Unrest’, has\u00a0a country feel to it, not just musically but lyrically, with its storytelling style, the tale of people living lives based on the ideas of others rather than making their own decisions, and thinking for themselves. How has Hole developed such wisdom to be able to write this way?<\/p>\n