Album Review - Eric Hutchinson's “Pure Fiction”

      Eric Hutchinson is a singer-songwriter who has been making music well over a decade and has recently released his fifth album entitled “Pure Fiction”. This album I found to be polarizing in that on several tracks he found some great balance but in others his weaknesses (Namely lyrics, and repetitive pop like themes) show through even more. 

      Hutchinson’s greatest strength is his voice, and no matter what track you listen to on this album (or likely any of his other work) this will be very clear. The songwriting draws the focus to his voice, and he is an excellent pop singer with a lot of flexibility and style. After a listen to this album I have been convinced that I want to see him live, as I have a very strong feeling that he is excellent live (as his acoustic tracks show). 

      Highlights of this album include “Goodnight Goodbye”, a simplistic track that emphasizes his excellent voice as well his perfect lyrical setting for the sentiment he was going for. This was the track that drew attention to this album for me. Also the track “Forget about Joni” in contrast shows some really clever lyric writing. This song also has a latin feel which was performed quite well with some simple instrumental choices and styling for guitar. This track is also acoustic adding more credence to the belief of his ability as a live performer.

     The weaker tracks on this album tend to emphasize the same issues. Tracks like “I Got The Feeling Now” and “A Little More” use really simple lyrics and pop hooks that make these tracks sound so poppy to the point of them being too sweet and simple. A title of a track should only be said so many times in the track itself, and should never be the entire lyrical content of the chorus (Unless it’s a Fall Out Boy-esque title which could be a short novella). 

      Overall I find this album to be difficult to assess wholistically. I love the artist’s voice and musicality, however I find that at times his songwriting choices pull me away from truly appreciating that work. I found that with most tracks on this album I either really liked them, or really didn’t. With many tracks being split along these two specific issues (Performance vs. Song-Writing). When listening in the moment I think this album is a great listen, however go much further in depth and you begin to uncover some of these issues which could be improved.

      If your a fan a pop music, like singer-songwriters, or just a fan of great singers this album is a good listen. If you are looking for a deep musical experience with deep lyrical meaning this album is not going to be for you.