Hannah Paris is rather ‘sweet’. That’s the word that comes to mind on listening to her debut EP “Short Stories”. The 25 year-old singer/songwriter has produced a decent set of songs here, even though some do feel a little rough around the edges. There is an interesting echo on “Scared of the Dark” that makes it sound a bit makeshift. “Favourite Hello” is not as bad but I still felt it could have been a little bit neater. There is nothing wrong with the songs lyrically. The overall sound just feels a little bit unfinished.

These two tracks are sandwiched between two other songs that feel much more complete. Final track “New Town” does best in showcasing Paris’ vocal talent, her voice here reminding me of Welsh singer Duffy. Opening track “You, You, You” has an instantly likeable sound that packages Paris’ voice into a bubblegum wrapper. It is catchy, with a good dose of pop, and is why it led me straight to ‘sweet’ as the most fitting description in my intro.

By the end of “Short Stories”, you get a sense that there is much more to Paris than the initial ‘bubblegum pop’ sound. I’m sure as she builds a following and further explores her own identity, no doubt we will hear a much more assured and definitive sound from this Essex-based artist. As a debut release, it isn’t a bad first effort.

Read more about Hannah in an interview with @BringCountry2UK here.