Album Review: Bonnie and Clyde

Driven with a catchy beat, smooth vocals that fill up the soundscape and space within my headphone mix, the opening track from Harry Burt’s new EP, titled Bonnie and Clyde gives the listener something to look forward to and it pays off. The bouncing bass holds up the vibes the drums give way to as Harry deepens the vibes with tasty guitar lines, electric pianos and other sounds to help bring the melody to the forefront. Heads Down Thumbs Up is a catchy upbeat tune to ease you into the 6 track EP. Hailing from Ōtautahi/Christchurch and having had some fantastic opportunities to perform with Annie Crummer at ‘Sparks in the park’, as well as What Now, The Erin Simpson Show and MoreFM, as you make your way through the collection of original songs, you see why he has such mass appeal.

The second track Shot only further cements his song writing skill and knack for production with little hints of ideas that are sprinkled into the production, be it the autotuned vocal ad-libs that show up from time to time in Shot, or the way he has used his instrumentation to keep each song interesting while making sure they do not steal the way focus away from his vocals.

Fan Behaviour showcases a piano-driven song with a pop funk feel to it, and then next minute Flirty brings in palm-muted rock guitar from the start. It’s the collection of sounds glued together by his voice and pop sensibility that makes this a listening experience that will keep you engaged the whole time. In fact, you will find that the songs pass by so quickly, and you will head back to wanting to listen to them all again. Seven songs don’t seem like much here as each song stands on its own two feet, serving up a different genre each time. Flirty as the rock example also gives you a strong build and leads up to a wicked guitar solo with a tone that makes me think of rock solos straight out of the 80’s.

There truly is something here for everyone and Harry has real knack for catchy melodies, great lyrics and strong production. The title track Bonnie and Clyde brings down the energy a little as the EP comes to a close. This is a fantastic EP all round and worth your time. Harry got his start in producing his own songs in 2020 under lockdown in his parents’ spare room. After reaching a significant audience recording, producing and releasing homemade songs (Waltz in the Rain, Chamomile). Harry has grown to work with New Zealand based producers Levi and Noah Page (Depot) to bring the vision of his songs to life. I highly recommend this EP and encourage you to head out to the live show where Harry will perform every song here with a live band.