Review – Meredith Shaw

By: Jessica Lewis

Album: Hardest Goodbye EP
Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Genre: Alternative
Label: eOne Music Canada

Meredith Shaw, a Toronto born singer/song-writer, has released her EP entitled “Hardest Goodbye” and it is the second in a trio of EPs called the ‘Tringles’ series. Each of these EPs contains three songs that coincide with each other and hold a common theme.

“Hardest Goodbye” is made up of the songs “Even If You Don’t Know”, “Hardest Goodbye” and “Slide.” It is produced by John-Angus MacDonald and features some guest vocals to add harmonies and to fill out certain choruses and verses. These harmonies are especially heard in “Slide.”

It is easy to see how each song goes along with the others. They all seem to be focused on the same slow/seriousness and are balancing on the fence between pop and country music. There is an obvious transition from Shaw’s first EP “Trouble”, which was a crazier and wilder triplet of songs, in the final track of that EP entitled “Have You Met My Heart”, which had slowed down significantly from the first two tracks and created the bridge into “Hardest Goodbye.” “Slide” has a bit of a jazzier sound to it and features a beautiful arrangement of harmonies which makes one wonder if that will be a transition into the final EP of the ‘Tringles’ series. We’ll have to wait and find out.

The title track of the EP “Hardest Goodbye” is definitely the more pronounced song on the record and has a very distinct sound that differentiates from the others. It is easy to see why it was chosen as the title track and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys pop with a touch of country zest in it. The guest vocals blend beautifully with Shaw’s voice and it is an all together well rounded song.

The EP is a wonderful transition from “Trouble” and anyone could find something they like in the music, whether that is the vocals, harmonies, or impressive musical composition. Listening to “Hardest Goodbye” will definitely take you through a different story than “Trouble”, but it is an even more impressive one that will leave you wanting for the final component of the ‘Tringle’ series.

Rating: 5/5

Meredith Shaw online:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/meredithshaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meredith-Shaw/366230174529?fref=ts
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4t_gmQtFbPFaJozwlrFZOw