Ehson Hashemian – Believe

Ehson Hashemian – Believe – Album Review

Sometimes you can tell you’re in for something you’re probably gonna dig within the first few seconds of pushing play.  Maybe that comes from years and years of listening to all kinds of different records, or maybe I just automatically know what appeals to me.  When I pushed play on Believe by Ehson Hashemian, and “Accept” started to play…I felt like I was instantly on solid ground with the dreamy Indie-Rock style of sound that came sliding outta my speakers to greet my ears.  Like a combination of what you’d find if The Strokes merged with The Temper Trap, “Accept” was a stellar introduction to the music of Hashemian.  Love the sound of the music, love the way the dude sings the song…there’s a distinct mix of passion, creativity and sincerity to be found here, and I don’t think any of us could miss it.

As the title track came on afterwards, it was like an immediate hit of confirmation.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m not suggesting that Ehson is completely 100% perfect by the definition as we’ve come to know it, but I’m kinda feeling like he might just be perfect for me and my own personal taste, you know what I mean?  Those can be two totally different things.  Plenty of folks would listen to Hashemian sing “Believe” and feel like I’m off my rocker to support this guy as much as I’m ready to…but I’d challenge those of you out there that feel that way to take a deeper listen.  For every single note or tone that you might question, I’d point out there are three others built with pure magic that the rest out there just don’t have.  So hell yeah – I’m not only into it, I’m turning this up loud and proud…I genuinely love what I’m hearing from Ehson, and the fact that it’s not over-polished or produced to a shiny slickness that would take all of what makes Hashemian endearing to our ears away…kinda just makes me love him even more.  There are tangible hooks that are absolutely irresistible if you ask me…this dude is a special talent, I’m tellin’ ya.  I’d be more worried about any sets of ears that can’t discern that.  He might come off as creatively aloof or perhaps even unfocused to some in terms of music usually having that spit shine polish to it these days…but I’m tellin’ ya…there’s something beautifully unique about this artist.

Honestly, what’s not to love here?  “Comes And Goes” begins, and if you’ve already been loving what yu hear from Ehson as much as I have been, you know he’s easily on his way to another verifiable hit you’ll love.  The most I’m willing to concede here, is that “Comes And Goes” is probably third place out of the first three tracks he’s got on the album if we’re listing them by order of our favorites, but let’s be real too – we’re probably splitting hairs.  Where I might feel like this song ends up in third place outta three, other listeners could justifiably find a way to rank this even higher based on their own personal preferences I’m sure.  What I’m confident we can ALL agree on though, is that it’s another great song to add to Believe, and another song that’s got that ever present endearing charm of the main man on the microphone.  There’s something so organic, natural & humble about Ehson, combined with such an impressive & indescribable X-factor at work…I dunno…call me crazy, but this is the kind of music that I’m always hoping to find.  True raw talent by every sense of the definition.  Ehson’s been around for a while if you read his bio and whatnot – this is his fourth album – but his resistance to being fully refined is a clear part of the gravitational pull we feel towards his music.  That blissful rawness is totally by design.

Where does he REALLY need work?  It’s not in the songwriting, and it’s not in the performances – it’s in the production.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that he slickens this whole thing out to the point where he just sounds like everyone else, and I’m not even suggesting that he needs to do a whole lot to anything really – I’m merely pointing out where the most obvious place of his evolution will likely occur as he continues forward from here.  I’m also listening to Believe via YouTube too, so take it with a grain of salt…I’ve never felt like that was the haven of audio quality.  Tracks like “Counting On You” that are a little more spacious, you can hear a little of the ambient interference that exists in all of these songs a little more.  Nothing interferes too much…and yes, part of me doesn’t want to touch a thing, because personally, I’d listen to Ehson all damn day, every day.  “Counting On You” would likely be considered to be the ‘deep cut’ in the sense that it’s not overtly loaded with hooks or personality like the opening tracks are, but I’d reckon that there’s still a metric ton of both, and the constant charm offensive that Hashemian puts forth is so ridiculously addictive that it’ll blow you mind.  Even in low-key cuts like “Counting On You,” you’ll find there’s something about this guy that you really want to root for.

Some tracks, like the opening cut “Accept” and “Do” later on in the lineup, almost sound like they’re stacked with sounds upon sounds, or like they’re dual-layered in some strange way.  Maybe it’s me.  Maybe I’m trippin’ out?  Maybe I’m having audible flashbacks from all the acid I did in my youth?  I’ll tell you what I’m not doing – complaining!  I bought the ticket and I’m more than happy to take the ride.  In fact, I’ve been taking this ride quite a few times over this past week or so, and tracks like “Do” were always the kind of songs that would really get me to stop and pay attention to the way it’s composed, the uniqueness it possesses, and the ingenuity that Ehson shows us in the hooks he creates.  I mean, have a listen for yourself and you’ll know exactly what I mean – NONE of this is typical stuff, and that’s definitely a large part of what’s got my attention so firmly locked onto this album right now.  I like things that are different…Ehson’s like, channeled a 70s Disco vibe in his vocals on “Do,” and yet it’s like he’s the only one that can “feel it” – the sound of the song is like…a bizarre pairing to say the least, but somehow it still WORKS.  Personally I think it’s kind of genius level type-stuff…but at the same time, you really have to wonder how on earth Ehson would have had the foresight to know that what he’s doing would work at all!  In any event, I can testify to the fact that it does for me, and hopefully it will for you too.

It just puts you in a good mood, you know?  Believe is expertly designed to be in tune with the raw and pure emotions that Ehson feels when he’s making music, and that feeling HE gets, absolutely translates right to US as we listen in the most glorious of ways.  “Feel” is an excellent example of a song that doesn’t have to try too hard in order to win us over.  So on one hand, you can look at it as inherently clever songwriting that knows how to appeal to an audience, and on the other hand, you can look at it as being created by the kind of artist that we simply can’t take our ears off of.  Even here on “Feel,” where he’s arguably in a more predictable type of composition, he’s already proven to be just about as unpredictable an artist as we can think of…so our ears stay braced for the twist, even if it doesn’t need to exist.  It’s a blissful feeling of anticipation – and it doesn’t always need to be realized in the ways that we think it will be to make a lasting impression on us…like, when it comes to “Feel,” it’s basically the complete absence of that same twist we’re expecting to find that actually BECOMES the twist you’ll hear – make sense?  Playing it straightforward, and just letting this particular moment be what it is, pure and simple, was a wise move on Ehson’s part…”Feel” is a true case of it is what it is & I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’m sure it’s gonna “Feel” like it’s missing a bit of something to some listeners out there, and that’s okay…for many others, like myself, this song will prove that it has absolutely everything it needs.

Yeah man…unique…there’s no other way to look at what Ehson is doing.  Part of me listens to a song like “Follow The Light” and I’m like…there’s just no way that the average everyday listener is going to ‘get’ this – you know what I mean?  He’s like…Jim Morrison fronting the band Tortoise on this particular song – and even on paper, that makes utterly no sense whatsoever.  So can that really work, or win people over?  I’m gonna say yes to the first part, and…probably not for the second part of that question.  I think that this works, and I’ve been more than stoked to listen to this record from start to finish.  Do I think that Ehson can convince the listeners of Taylor Swift or Jack Johnson or Metallica to tune in?  Not a fucking chance if I’m being completely real with ya.  Hashemian is niche by every conceivable definition, and the sheer fact that he’s willing to do things so differently means there will be less people that can follow him on the path that he’s put himself on.  That is by no means whatsoever any kind of bad thing!  When you’re blazing your own trail, you are bound to confuse and confound your audience almost every step of the way…even I listen to “Follow The Light” and feel a little less sure about it by comparison to some of the rest, but I’m a firm believer that if you like anything Hashemian does, you’ll truly love it all.

Like…for real – are you REALLY going to tell me you can resist the sound he’s workin’ with on “In The Open?”  This track is all-out BRILLIANT, and I don’t even have the slightest clue as to how he would go about creating this.  Dude’s got like…a bit of that Beirut melodic-genius to him…the magic of truly underground Indie cleverness that hardly ever comes up to the surface of the mainstream, but every person you know that introduces you to amazing music that’s become a part of the soundtrack of your life knows inside and out.  “In The Open” would be right up there with the best of the best on this record in my own humble opinion…I felt like Ehson got a ton of mileage in the melody of his main hooks, and the music itself is so indescribably incredible that the freshness you’ll find in these ideas could not possibly be overstated.  You just won’t come across albums like Believe every day…it’s a fact that’s as tragic as it is wonderful…but I’m thankful that Hashemian exists on the timeline that I’m on.  “In The Open” is just one of those songs that I’ll never be able to live without now that I’ve heard it.  I love this!

“It Is What It Is!”  You’re damn right it is!  And like I said, I’m grateful for that.  The natural sway and swagger of Ehson’s vocals has that expressive, loose, drunken magic to it that is relentlessly charming and charismatic at the same time.  Could he tighten things up in that department?  Sure!  And he’d risk so much of what makes his music as special as it is.  I’d rather he keep on doing things exactly how he’s doing things now, and have the occasional song not quite hit the mark instead.  Big deal!  Where there’s one of those, like I said earlier, there will be three songs you can’t take your ears off of.  “It Is What It Is” is probably one of the songs I didn’t feel quite as attached to by comparison to the majority of the set I suppose, but I’d readily listen to a collection of B-sides by Ehson before the A-sides of most artists and bands out there.  This is the kind of creativity & sincerity that gets me bolting out of bed in the morning – it’s rare to find, but once you do, you’re like, mercilessly addicted to the feeling and crave discovering MORE of it in whatever form you find it.  Hashemian makes genuine ART with the music he creates…so while occasionally “It Is What It Is,” more often than not, it’s a whole lot more than what you think it is.

I actually think the most legitimate question about Believe & what Ehson creates is whether or not it could potentially be more diverse than it appears to be.  In some ways, if you were to argue that Ehson does like, one thing really damn well, I’d be inclined to listen to you…it’s a different thing than anyone else is doing, but it’s so identifiable that even when he does make a substantial change with his music in one way or the other, it still sounds similar…because that’s how tremendously unique he is that I can almost see that working against him.  Again, y’ain’t gonna find me complaining…I like his lyricism, I like his stylistic vibes, I like his endearing Indie charm…it all stacks up to a huge win to me, even if I can also acknowledge that a back-to-back pairing of “It Is What It Is” and “Live And Learn” feels like it has run out of a little steam comparatively to the rest.  Like I love to remind you readers from time to time – you can’t really blame ME for feeling the way I do in a situation like this…I’m only comparing Ehson TO Ehson – so if he’s petered out a little bit around tracks nine & ten, I only feel that way because he’s been completely crushing it throughout this entire set of songs!  If I’m the villain for pointing that out, then so be it…I like to think I’m the hero and actually complementing him on the incredible job he’s really done if tracks like “Live And Learn” are still as great as they are, yet somehow represent the less dynamic side of his sound overall.  Like, if this was as bad as Believe gets, you’ll never stop spinning this record y’all.

While it IS a fantastically different album than you’ll typically hear, to be completely honest with you, it really felt like Hashemian had a true vision for where he could take this record.  I’m never going to be the guy to tell you that a fourteen track album doesn’t have some room to be more brutally objective and trim a tune or two to benefit the playability of the lineup, but I stand by what I said earlier in how if you dig something by Ehson, chances are, you’ll like it all.  “Standing There” has a brilliant musical hook to it…one that arguably even steals the show in this particular example…but it’s awesome to hear Ehson almost dare to challenge it with what he creates for his vocal melody.  Does he get something that rivals the music?  You know…I’m not gonna say NO, because I love what he goes on to do on “Standing There” – but I will say he had the odds clearly stacked against him, and that there’s still a very good chance that listeners come away from this song feeling like the music was the most impressive part of what they hear.  I’d reckon it ain’t a bad thing to have people arguing about which part of your song they like more.

What I would tell you though, is that for myself personally, I kind of needed a decisive WIN again…because it felt like it was probably “In The Open” that last delivered one of those to me.  Did “Thinking About It” achieve that?  I’m going to say YES.  Though, to be fair, I also had to be “Thinking About It” for a second to know that was the case for sure.  There’s something about the absolutely stellar looseness of Ehson’s whole vibe that reminds me so much of the reasons I love the band Mellowdrone as much as I do…and this is a great way to highlight how you can get a similar feeling from listening to completely different music.  I wouldn’t say that Hashemian sounds too much like Mellowdrone at all really – but there IS something about their proudly hazy vibes that resonate and connect in the same kind of way.  When it comes to “Thinking About It,” I’d probably put this song up there as the unsung hero of the record if I’m being completely honest with ya.  I went from originally thinking that this was a pretty decent tune, to feeling like it was another extraordinary highlight in the set & another song I wouldn’t ever want to live without by the time I finally went to write this review.  In short, I think we’ll all underestimate exactly how powerfully addictive this song is on those first couple spins, but soon enough, “Thinking About It” will creep into your consciousness, never to be removed.

I know I’m gonna introduce someone out there to Hashemian one day, and they’re going to look back at me with a completely puzzled face, asking me what IS this?  And I’m still not going to be sure how to answer that in any kind of precise way.  As I listened to “Through The Dark” I had to marvel at how a musical mind like Ehson has would have to work in order to come up with material as original as this is.  You’ll get what I mean when you have a listen for yourself…sure, I’ve made the occasional comparison along the way, but let me assure you, Believe is pretty much beyond description and defies comparison.  Citing any band or artist will give you the rough outline of an idea of what something might sound like, but Hashemian has proudly and confidently taken his own route from the moment this album began.  As a result, you get to points like “Through The Dark” and just kind of smile at it – this is Ehson being Ehson.  Would I expect everyone out there to understand music like this?  Not a snowball’s chance in hell!  But that’s kind of what makes it great too…it’s the fact that those of us that do ‘get’ what we’re listening to and how special it is, all kind of share this unique connection to a stunning new sound.  As much as I’d love to keep it all to myself, my job specifically requires me to try & share this awesomeness with YOU.  Alright, alright…I’m not required so much as it just makes me feel good – so LISTEN to this album will ya?

“When It’s Time” dials things back to a mellower melody, drifting to the album’s conclusion with organically appealing sound that’s still embracing that mix of hazy dreaminess that has made Believe the great experience it has been from start to finish.  Personally, I don’t really think there’s a bad song in the bunch.  I might still feel like there could have been a way to cut this down to eleven or twelve tracks to tighten things up just a little more, but I’m really not complaining about what I found in this set-list of songs.  “When It’s Time” feels like last call at the bar and the lights have now come on…that same effect that you get when you stumble out of a darkened movie theater & into daylight…you’ve gotta readjust yourself back into the world and you don’t always feel ready for that.  Believe has been a real experience in the sense that it’s definitely the kind of album that’ll take you out of your world for the length of its time, and you might not be ready to return to life as it was when it’s finally finished up.  On the bright side, I think that’s exactly what the repeat button is for, and trust me when I tell ya, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be reaching for that button right quick.  I’m completely impressed by Ehson’s authenticity and artistry on display throughout this record, and I can’t wait to hear the other music he has out there.

Find out more about Ehson Hashemian from his official page at Instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/ehsonhashemian

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