Shaun Hague - The Time is Now EP Review

This is another tale of "I might never have known about this artist were it not for Twitter". It is also the tale of my first time supporting a musician's project via Kickstarter. Having never heard (or heard of) Shaun Hague prior to kicking in a few dollars to his fundraising campaign, you could also consider this an example of taking a Euterpean leap of faith. What convinced me to do so was the company he kept.

Shaun Hague's name came up via a tweet from Steve Aguilar, a Southern California musician and producer, whose keyboards were one of the ingredients of an album I fell in love with in late '09 by Gorgeous Got a Gun; an artist which may have never made it to my ears were it not for Twitter. Aguilar announced he was producing this effort from Shaun Hague and encouraged its support. If he could handle album production as deftly as he handles a Hammond B3, then this just might be something to check out. As an initial foray into investing in the release of recorded music, supporting The Time is Now has definitely paid off.

For a three song EP, The Time is Now speaks volumes of the potential Shaun Hague has for future releases.  Hague's voice is a high point. Solid, confident, discernibly different from his contemporaries with just the slightest hint of an influence in his singing style. The songs are professionally crafted, cover three very different moods, and feature lyrics which let the listener identify with each piece.

First up is "Make it a Great Day". Opening on a vibrant mandolin riff sounding like day break itself, Hague's voice joins in a positive call to action for the listener to carpe diem. The song builds to a rousing chorus which will get all but the most stubborn on their feet and grooving with it. This song has joined The Call's "Let the Day Begin", OK Go's "This Too Shall Pass" and ing's "Kick Start Your Day" on my morning motivational playlist.

Next up is "Windy City Girl", which is as sweet a love ballad as you never get to hear on the radio any more. Ostensibly, when this song is performed live, Hague should have the attention of every lady in the audience, doubly so if they are from Chicago. And for the hopelessly romantic guys out there, if there's a Windy City Girl in your life, Hague has crafted the perfect way to bring happy tears to her eyes should you dedicate it to her in some fashion. You should thank him.

Closing out the EP (way too soon I must add) is "Rainy Day in L.A." In the thank you section of The Time is Now jacket, Bruce Springsteen is named by Hague for teaching him the art of songwriting and showmanship. That influence is readily apparent on this number, which starts with a sax and organ riff straight out of E Street, but in this case, E Street runs through Hermosa Beach, CA instead of Asbury Park, NJ. More simply put, Hague doesn't let his inspiration beget imitation, but rather channels it into his own sound. Not only is it a terrific number, but it succeeds on dual levels: as a song about rain (which really, there can never be enough of) and as a worthy entry into the ever expanding oeuvre of music concerning the edge of world and all of western civilization.

The original pitch on Shaun Hague's Kickstarter page, describes how he'd written between 10 and 12 songs, and would have upped the song count on this release had he hit an even higher goal. For those who actively seek out and support talented musicians, let's hope that those songs and more make it to our ears very soon. Until then, you should definitely check out this release. The Time is Now drops on June 7 on iTunes and in physical form at Shaun Hague's live dates this summer, which includes locations across the country.

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