Beth Hirsch

Electric Bee

**

Breezily attractive summer album.

This latest release from LA-based Beth Hirsch will probably be very differently received depending on whether you’re already a fan of the pretty but flimsy kind of soul-inflected pop that she deals in. Surprising as it may seem to those who find it eminently forgettable fluff, it’s expanding, if anything, as a 21^st century genre in its own right, with Julia Fordham and many others making music very similar to Hirsch’s sound here. Ideally suited to summer socialising, the melodies are breezily attractive and the sugary production perfect for instant, throwaway consumption. Her take on jazz-pop is as smooth as they come, considerably more MOR than Radio 2’s daytime playlist, while the light, breathy vocal style wrapped around it offers no resistance to accessibility. More often than not, the textures are a little insubstantial and, with almost no real emotional engagement being projected, it’s a case of trying to listen to and enjoy the catchier moments at face value. The tropically-tinged Our Song is the sunniest and jauntiest number, recalling carefree beach holidays and summer romance with a subtle touch of steel guitar from Michel Ayme. But ultimately it’s Hirsch’s musical direction itself that sits uneasily with me, making it difficult to recommend this to the majority of Maverick readers. Helen Carney

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