Doug at IOU Music Reviews Hilary Scott’s “Don’t Call Me Angel”

I’ll admit it, I almost never read the bio that publicists send with music, I’m afraid of tainting my first impression with their obvious bias. When I first saw the name Hilary Scott I thought the girl from that band was going out solo, but something made me give it a listen anyway, and I’m damn glad I did; ‘Don’t Call Me Angel’ is right up there with the best albums I’ve heard all year and it can be yours October 12th.

This was my first introduction to Hilary Scott, and I am blown away by her lyrics as well as her great bluesy voice that is well paired on this album with all the right strings and her talent for tickling the ivory; I’m a sucker for well-done piano work and hers is prevalent throughout this record.I love everything about this album but Hilary’s emotional, sometimes sultry, vocals are the crowning achievement here. The writing absolutely kills (The more I listen the more I feel like Hilary might be my spirit animal), the players and production are top notch, but that voice ties it all together into a package that I just keep finding 40+ minutes to listen to.

“Don’t Call Me Angel” pulls triple duty as album opener, lead single, and title track; well-suited for all duties it highlights Hilary’s vocal range while being REALLY heavy with lyrical content. This is easily my favorite song on the album (Definite contender for song of the year) and it starts things off with a metaphorical bang. On the surface it sounds like a play on “Angel of the Morning”, but when you dig in, there is a lot more to it than what you hear at first; its haunting beauty is matched only by its eloquent one-liners.

“Not Used To Being Used To” is a creative way to describe the elation of finding one of the good fish, though it took me a minute to realize that she wasn’t just repeating words because it played well. “I’m scared of heights, and yet you’ve got me flying away” is a line that could border on cliché, but it just works here, and works well.

“Moon and Back” is another that is beautiful for its vocals and music, but the lyrics tell a much deeper story, one I think many can relate to with the roller-coaster of life. A perfect portrait of the thought process of the emotional brain, each stanza a window into the feelings of various steps of a relationship. I find myself envisioning a perfect music video for this song, a testament to its ability to convey the message so well. The more I listen, the more I love it.

The cover of Prince’s “Kiss” feels even steamier than he did it, if that’s possible.  By turning things down a notch not only can you actually understand all the lyrics, but you might even blush a bit with how breathy she sings them at times.

“Here I Am” wraps the album up with a heart-on-sleeve ringer; Scott’s ivory keys and the little rips of guitar give a great background to the emotional vocals of this head-over-heels croon.
This album has love songs, sad songs, and date night songs; It’s all represented here, wrapped in the lovely bow that is Hilary Scott’s amazing vocals.

Pre-order and listen to 4 songs early on her website. ‘Don’t Call Me Angel’ is available October 12th.”