Hip Hatchet @ The Bicycle Shop
Exceptional.
Away from the multi-instrument album recordings and mixing desks, Hip Hatchet on tour is a man and his guitar and not much else. As it turns out, that’s all you really need. All anecdotes and scruff aesthetic, Philippe Bronchtein puts aside the low turnout and simply gets on with his excellent stuff. Out in the wild is where this finger-picking wonder seems to blossom, even more so than on the Spotify tracks that you should definitely be checking out. Exposed, real, and extolling the dangers of online dating, Bronchtein takes on the form of someone with a lot to say and an outstanding way of saying it. The benefits of this minimalism is that every note is tangibly present, a small but solid heft taking to the air before another takes its place. Just why this is such a boon comes down to a distinct style of storytelling. With a wordsmith’s flair and wit the American again and again takes things so utterly everyday and familiar and crams them with poignancy, strength and meaning. You might argue that this is just par for the genre but the force with which this is performed marks Bronchtein out as a superb practitioner. Add to it all the scurrying guitar and the warm, throaty voice and what you end up with is exceptional. This isn’t to be missed.
