Album Review: For Evelyn by Hannah Georgas

When Hannah Georgas released her debut EP, The Beat Stuff, in 2008, her pop tendencies were subtle and washed by folk instrumentation. But they were there, infusing Georgas' lyrics about heartbreak with incredibly catchy hooks. She went bubblier on her debut album, and more vibrant on her synth-powered 2012 self-titled record. On her third LP, For Evelyn, named for her 98-year-old grandmother, Georgas once again has two feet firmly planted in the pop world, but this time around it's one of incredible depth.For Evelyn is Georgas' most confident record yet.

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In the era of Insta-lives, appearing as if you're "living the dream" is par for the course. However, Hannah Georgas's third album stands in stark contrast to that ethos. Filled with self-doubt, disillusion and inner resilience, For Evelyn tackles a personal, sometimes painful journey with raw, captivating emotion. Setting the tone is breathlessly sung opener Rideback, in which she confesses, "I wake up in the middle of the night / thinking 'Oh my God, who the hell am I?'" This universal concern sounds fresh in the alt-pop songwriter's hands, and the song's discordant, abrupt ending leads us into an album of revelatory tracks.

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“FOR EVELYN,” HANNAH GEORGAS It might seem perverse to compare a Disney-trained radio princess to an indie-minded avant-pop artist, but there are times on “For Evelyn” when Hannah Georgas sounds like nobody so much as Selena Gomez. But Georgas sounds like a full-fledged adult with some emotional experience and wisdom behind her, instead of a recent teenager declaring her grownup bona fides. And that, it seems, is just about all that separates Gomez from Regina Spektor, who haunts songs like “Walls,” “City” and “Angel All the Time,” with their soft piano foundation and vocal phrasing that hits syllables with unexpected emphases.

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