Hannah Wicklund - The Prize

From the Album: The Prize, Year of Release: 2024#bluesrock#rock Lyrics: The Prize Welcome to my nightmare, where it’s just me, me and me I couldn’t tell you what I’m running from, Until I died I saw the gun go off, twice with my own eyes At first I was a hunter, And then the prize But that’s where the pieces of me lie I never thought I’d leave it behind Take it easy girl You have done well in this world so don’t cry It was a wonderful sacrifice Sweet edition About the past he is chasing A soul in need of salvation It’s hard to see your future through this Tired and broken dreams It’s like looking for a forest in fallen leaves But I can’t take the patterns of my youth with me Time to kill the voices in my head It spins my truth I had to make room in my life For the woman I wanted to be I love myself That’s what brought her to me so don’t cry It was a wonderful sacrifice Sweet release About the past he is chasing And it’s no surprise That a passionate sacrifice is needed To change my life From a soul in need of salvation From the past he is chasing At this point in music history, the idea of fusion has taken on a whole new life. Implementing surface-level musicianship from one genre to another can be done from the average laptop. Rapping over a jazz melody, crooning over syncopated drums, it seems like every artist is a mix of two different styles or more. True fusion comes from a deep understanding of a gene’s language, reverse engineering the nuances that speak to you, and filtering them through personal experience. Hannah Wicklund, a multi-hyphenate whose appreciation and execution of the arts feel so natural yet calculated, has found a winning formula for fusion on her latest LP. The Prize is a technicolored whirlwind through the restless creativity of Wicklund as she glues together the intimacy of singer/songwriter tropes with grandiose production. For ten tracks, the artist paints vivid imagery via her otherworldly musicianship and soaring vocals for an unforgettable album brimming with explosive arrangements. Much like the cover art, painted by Wicklund herself, The Prize is filled with stunning peaks and emotional valleys. She structures these songs in a way where every note matters, never wasting a second of this tracklist. If there was ever a question of her diversity, Wicklund created a statement piece to prove exactly how far her imagination can stretch. The album dips into moments of cabaret-style balladry to theater-sized anthems, all being anchored to earth by Wicklund’s infectious vocal performances. She makes these transitions with ease and grace, creating a welcoming environment for all who listen and for her lofty ideas to unfurl in a powerful display. Wicklund toes the line between dusty folk songs and chart-topping country star tunes. Each style showcases a different nuance of Wicklund’s artistry. The explosive anthems like “Can’t Get Enough” showcase a pure guitarist, her fearless approach to structure allows even the most blistering tempos to sound relaxed and purposeful. It is moments like these that welcome us to The Prize with tracks like “Witness” doubling as our welcome mat. The soft waltz of this track slides into powerful guitar chords for a dynamic single. These tracks introduce us to Wicklund’s sprawling musicianship while her songwriting waits patiently for its time to shine. The Prize is not an album you digest in one sitting, the magic is in the nuances. Upon first listen you are overtaken by the production, a second listen will reveal the moving poetry of Wicklund. While the ambitious arrangements can sometimes overshadow her words, Wicklund is writing some of the best music of her career. More minimal moments like the title track or “Songbird Sing” allow her words and vocals to sit in the spotlight, a nice break in the tracklist from her guitar shredding. Her vocals sound great no matter how much she adds to the arrangement but it is these blissful tracks that truly showcase her wide range. You can download the music : VIDEO COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Video is made for entertainment purposes only and you can download this track on any authorized website such as, iTunes and ... No copyright infringement is intended in the making of this video. All rights to published audio, video, graphic and text materials belong to their respective owners. If you are the author or copyright owner of any of the material I use, and you don’t like it to be used by me, please contact: I recommend you my channel Blues & Rock Ilija Capko