I haven't seen a second of The Voice (U.K.) or The Voice (U.S.). Too much time watching American Idol in its initial run burnt me out on any show that combines the words "vocal" and "competition." So I never saw now 20-year-old Becky Hill make her run to the semi-finals as a teenager in 2012. Even if I had, I doubt hearing the Bewdley native cover John Legend's "Ordinary People" would've had much of an impact on me. It edges too far into Amy Winehouse/Adele/Duffy territory for my liking; tipping its hat to their style while leaving its soul at home.
The best thing for Becky Hill's career is what happens on debut single "Caution to the Wind." Instead of Hill marinating in the sweat of a forlorn piano figure, her voice dances along with Two Inch Punch's metronomic drums and lush marimba plucks. Pitched-down vocals contort in the background, making the song both "dubstep" and "tropical," not unlike Jamie xx's beguiling "Far Nearer." Lyrically Hill's trying to shed the mentality of wearing "my heart on my sleeve" so she can "throw caution to the wind." As a lone synthesizer thinly slices through the track before the first chorus, Hill tellingly croons "I’ll cut to the chase, I'm finding my feet." Listening to an artist discover them self is an incredible thing.
"Caution to the Wind" will be available on iTunes July 22.
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