Sam ‘Guineafowl’ Yeldham, has followed a common trend in music today – he started on a laptop creating music that was earnest, sincere and laced with emotion, garnered himself the attention of labels and has now moved on to bigger, better and unfortunately blander things.
The Hello Anxiety EP showcases Guineafowl’s obvious talent for penning a well constructed pop tune, but the music itself is devoid of human feeling and comes across as contrived, overly polished and ready for mass consumption.
There is a distinct lack of personality in the music. Lead single “In Our Circles” is a grand example of this. The chorus is opulent and sweeping and the entire track has an epic, anthemic, feel but there is no substance in the recording. It’s as though Guineafowl has sampled the best from other artist’s he admires without throwing any of his own flavour into the mix.
There is a marked lack of feeling throughout the entire EP, and while the variety of boppier tracks “Little Fingers” and “My Lonely Arms” make for a nice contrast, the production is sterile and highly disappointing.
The impression Hello Anxiety leaves is one of confusion as to who Guineafowl actually is, as the man has not expressed himself through his music. The recordings are high quality, catchy pop that is good for mindlessly tapping your toes, but difficult to engage with on a meaningful level.
Review Score: 5/10
