Single Review: Pip Hall - 'Fire'

Pip Hall gets less dark with every release now. 'Ill At Ease' was an arms aloft indie banger. Now 'Fire' is half a remix away being club playlisted across the country. 

It is inspiring to hear the amount of genres this girl seems to seamlessly throw out to us- I am expecting a thrash tune next. And also, you forget how young this girl is. The amount of maturity in her voice and in her songwriting is one thing that doesn't change from song to song. However, there's something about 'Fire' that feels less close and intimate than perhaps some of her previous singles.

You can hear throughout 'Fire' that this was written to be a hit. There's not a moment in this song that doesn't immediately jump inside your head and possess your brain. But that's kind of the issue. The melodies feel obvious and a little forced in the way that 'Ill At Ease' felt so natural. The Haim-isms of the bridges completely distract you from the fact that this is a Pip Hall song. There is still quality in this song- Hall has a way around dynamics that really work within a pop song and someday she's going to write a proper hit that's going to define her and any genre she puts her mind to conquering.

But whilst this song isn't a bad effort, it's a far cry from the identity she's started to carve out for herself. As soon as she figures that out, she is more than on to something.

Words by James Kitchen