Rising star Joey Hendricks hails from Anacortes, Washington and last summer he signed with major label Sony Music Nashville. Making his move to Nashville via Phoenix, Arizona, Hendricks has been building a solid reputation in Music City thanks to his debut single āYours or Mineā. With a distinctive voice and a focused vision of what he wants to achieve, Hendricks has been working hard on his debut EP, āBetween the Cloudsā, which is released today.
The five-track collection really serves as introduction to an artist who has potential by the bucket load. It opens with āYours or Mineā, easing the listener in and showcasing Hendricksā knack for a catch melody. The other thing that strikes you is his smooth vocals, which at times recall Jordan Davis, and they soar when the song hits its epic chorus. Thankfully that song isnāt a one-off and āBetween the Cloudsā highlights just how special a talent Hendricks is by showing his many different sides.
āHollywoodā opens with Hendricks pretty much singing acapella, giving you a real chance to listen to those fantastic vocals free from distraction. The beat and instrumentation eases in around Hendrickās vocal but never takes your focus away from it. Itās a change of pace from āYours or Mineā but it shows that heās as comfortable with a ballad as he is with the more uptempo material. āTop Drawerā, the third track, sits somewhere between the first two in terms of tempo mixing soft rock vibes with mainstream Country. This song I can imagine being embraced by Country radio and soaring to the summit with the right promotional push.
The final two tracks on the EP are āGoing Homeā and āDrifterā. āGoing Homeā features delicate acoustic riffs as Hendricks sings about being drawn back to his home, and itās an emotional moment that lets you glimpse into Hendricksā life. Final track āDrifterā has a bluesy beat that drives the melody and takes Hendricks into completely new territory sonically. Picking up on some of the lyrics in āGoing Homeā, Hendricks sings about his inability to stay in one place for two long. Itās his best vocal on the record and Iām excited to hear more music in this vein.
āBetween the Cloudsā does exactly what it should do. Across these five songs you get a feel for Hendricksā versatility and his vision for his artistry. He lays down a blueprint for what fans can expect and I suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg. Keep your eye on Joey Hendricks, I have a sneaking feeling that itās only a matter of time before heās bothering the top of the charts.
Track listing: 1. Yours or Mine 2. Hollywood 3. Top Drawer 4. Going Home 5. Drifter Record label: Sony Music Nashville Release date: 12th March 2021 Buy ‘Between the Clouds’ now
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