In a quick change world driven by short attention spans, Baxter Hall delivers a short but powerful listen with his debut EP, ‘The Work’. Driven by a devastatingly honest lyrical content as much as strong melodies, it’s a release that not only entertains, but could even uncover a few hidden depths after repeated listens.
The title cut, released as a digital single ahead of the full release, shares an emotionally rich indie folk oriented performance. The quieter aspects of the track help to showcase a great voice, while the more forthright riffs that power the second half of the number capture a sweet spot between rootsy indie and noisy Americana. In some ways, it ends up feeling a little like two half formed ideas welded down the middle, but it’s to Baxter’s credit – and largely down to his great and natural vocal – that it works.
The mix on the track sounds utterly superb on headphones: its opening riff from the electric guitar bounces between the left and right channels; a few of the electric strums are peppered with a great reverb that makes Hall’s contemporary sound feel a little more timeless, and the way an organ creeps through the cracks lends extra depth. The closing bars, where Hall takes everything from the semi-acoustic and mournful into grander rock sounds, brings a superb punch, but manages to do so without detracting from his fragility of voice. Factor in a devastatingly honest lyric, and its no wonder ‘The Work’ also lends itself the title of Hall’s 2026 EP release.
The stand out track, ‘You Were The One’ wastes no time in sharing Hall’s thoughts on a fractured relationship: “I was building a bridge while you were burning it down”, he opines as its opening statement. He follows this by recounting the story of meeting someone who avoided his gaze, someone who “made things awkward” and how the person in question had chances they “shouldn’t have had”. It all seems rather accusatory for something that’s obviously a two way deal. However, rather than giving this an angry send off that would make this seem like an absolute bitchfest to the outsider, the musician has applied an arrangement that’s light and bouncy, blending folk and pop with a pinch of Americana in the most flawless way. The intricate acoustic riffs coupled with warm basslines immediately evoke the singer songwriters of the 90s – hints of Duncan Sheik, Howie Day and others colour this work, whether intentionally or otherwise – and the breeziness with which Hall delivers the vocal helps this track to sound somewhat perky, when you’d think it really shouldn’t be that way. That said, one of the pay-off lines where Hall suggests that if the perpetrator “didn’t want this to end up in a song”, they probably shouldn’t have been so close to a songwriter, suggests that none of this is without a sly humour…
Continuing the acoustic mood, ‘Way Too Easy’ delivers strongly with solid strumming, coupled with a slightly distorted electric guitar bringing a mid-late 90s vibe. Hall’s own voice comes through with another great vocal and another lyric where he tackles (another?) broken relationship. “If I were you, I might try fixing my mistakes”, he suggests on a chorus that comes with a surprisingly sing-along quality, before pointing a finger at someone who “didn’t own up” to their mistakes, making “walking away too easy”. The slightly tougher vibe here could be enough for an outsider to actually rethink whether ‘You Were The One’ actually does have a tongue in cheek element, but musically, its another great number, bringing an ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ era Wilco tone to Hall’s already confident brand of indie-folk. Rounding out the EP, ‘Tricks’ is offset by a little more of a mechanical feel, but that doesn’t detract too much from Baxter’s very natural acoustic work. With hints of Shaun Mullins, this has the air of another late 90s throwback, and yet, the performer taps into a classic Americana-pop sound with a real confidence, and the acoustic-electric blend and a smooth vocal come together brilliantly. With the chorus introducing a few more electric elements and a prominent lead guitar taking centre stage with an old school solo, this finds the performer in a slightly rockier mood, but it’s good to hear him branching out a little.
Although the material is strong enough to hold its own over time – and ‘You Are The One’ even has the makings of an unlikely alternative summer hit – ‘The Work’ offers so much more than an easy musical fix. Its personal and sometimes frighteningly honest narrative content means it isn’t necessarily every day listening, but Hall should certainly be proud of that, since these four numbers are rich and textured in a way that his lyrics deserve. The EP format, too, works in his favour: there’s every chance that a ten or eleven song format could have diluted his lyrical impact. Bringing a few familiar sounds and influences into something that feels surprisingly fresh, ‘The Work’ is a recommended listen.
October 2026