Boy, this girl can sing. Philippa Hanna again exhibits that a sassy and empowered woman belongs at the helm of the country and Christian musical genres.
With a blues-y edge that is perhaps surprising for a self-defined ‘Country Gospel’ album, Philippa Hanna’s album breaks so many of the stereotypes surrounding country music. Like Ashley McBryde, Hanna has more than paid her dues on the country album releasing five albums prior to ‘Come Back Fighting.’ There is a sense though here in this album of Hanna having well and truly found her niche and her place in the country scene, comfortable in her own skin, her own voice and the music she puts out. Splitting her time between Sheffield and Nashville, Hanna has refined a style that is unique yet comfortable, combining a Christian core with the heart of UK country. It provides a window looking back to more traditional realms of country music, though with a message that resonates with a much younger and more modern context.
Despite having remained rather unknown to many aficionados of UK country, Hanna’s sixth album is sure to expand her reach more broadly. This is not to say though that Hanna has not already garnered a strong and loyal following. Her previous albums’ release has been the result of crowd-funding, she has supported the likes of Lionel Richie, Little Mix and Leona Lewis (try that for alliteration) and been praised by the likes of Claire Balding and Bob Harris. Possibly, this independence rather than being answerable to a label, has resulted in Hanna’s ability to so comfortably find her place in the at times broadly commercial-focussed music industry.
The record starts off with ‘Come Back Fighting,’ the catchy tune that first introduces the listener to Hanna’s brand of pop infused country gospel that sets exactly the right tone for the rest of the album. An anthem that will resonate across the ages, there is something both hugely motivating and empowering but also therapeutic about the song, to anyone who is trying to ‘come back fighting.’
‘Off the Wagon’ follows the same vein in its musical note, though in a change of tone that harks back more nostalgically to more traditional forms of country. Here, the Christian elements of Hanna’s inspiration creep through more explicitly, thanking the ‘precious blood of Jesus’ for all her days and singing of awaiting for his return while she keeps on driving. Still, it is only on a very close listening to the lyrics that such sentiments are explicit and the tune ‘There’s no ends to those twists and turns,’ ‘If I fall off the wagon, would you put me right back on? ‘Keep on driving all the way to beautiful horizons.’
Next up, is the more up-beat, Imogen Heap-esque ‘Dorothy,’ that cleverly intermingles the elements of the popular film with a message about being happy with your lot in life rather than hoping for something different. The song has a groovy, moving drumbeat and tempo and catchy lyric, ‘Baby, there’s no place like home, so put those ruby slippers on your feet and come home to me,’ that will be bound to stick with the listener long after the album has finished.
From there, the record progresses to the more mellow, blues-y ‘Let ‘Em Fly,’ that provides a moment of contemplation between the two bigger production tracks ‘Dorothy’ and ‘The Hero.’ This latter single has, arguably, the biggest popular appeal, a belter that showcases Hanna’s voice to the best of its ability in a heart-raising and emotional song that would not be an odd choice for an X Factor winner’s single – this is not an insult to Hanna but rather proof of the song’s ability to elicit emotion and create a narrative.
Perhaps the most powerful track off the album is ‘Getting on With Life.’ Poppier in tone, the song nevertheless carries a powerful and thoughtful lyric that is laid bare and not completely disguised by the contemporary pop production, infused with country elements. The story behind the song is as powerful as it gets, in her own words: “During the time my Dad was going through chemotherapy, I realised my patience was pretty short. When a stranger pushed past me in town so forcefully it knocked me sideways, I almost called after her in anger. But in a truly a defining moment for me I realised… she might
be going through something similar to me. That shift in perspective gave me the inspiration for ‘Getting On With Life’.” Such an emotional story is evident in Hanna’s voice throughout, and it is this ability she has to transform her voice, chameleon-like, throughout the record, through various colours of emotion that is what gives the album its punch.
‘Do the Unthinkable’ and ‘Million Flowers’ round out Hanna’s original parts of the album. though these tracks do not have the same staying power as the previous tracks, they are fitting in the album as a whole, rounding it off and colouring in the emotional rainbow that Hanna inflames here. The album ends with two covers, ‘I Saw the Light,’ by Hank Williams and ‘Always On My Mind’ by Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley, that are testament to Hanna’s creative and musical eye, perfectly fitting in this album’s jigsaw. Though obviously recognisable, the tracks are provided with a Hanna-esque spin that is testament to her experience and creativity – she has completely taken the songs as her own and transformed them into her own.
It will be hard to listen to the whole live set of Hanna’s ‘Come Back Fighting’ with a dry eye.
All in all, many will dismiss ‘Come Back Fighting’ all to readily as a ‘Christian’ album, relegating it to the nichest aisle at every record store. This does a disservice to Hanna’s ability to straddle the two genres, easily navigating her way through a potential minefield of musical dismissals by agnostics and country haters alike. Despite being a ‘Christian’ album, there is no sense of religion being forced upon the listener. Even those of different religions or backgrounds, could listen to the album with an appreciation of the music itself and the message Hanna puts through her songs could be seen as one of empowerment that does not have to be fully religious, and, more simply and powerfully, personal messages and interpretations should be threaded through the lyrics that Hanna so subtly and artfully crafts.
