Silken smooth and soulful, Josh Hicks’s latest single is a sublimely chill and cozy vibe that displays the fresh-faced British troubadour in possibly his best guise.
Having only burst onto the scene in 2023, Josh Hicks, a singer and songwriter, has not faced difficulty in causing ripples across British musical media. Based in Newport, the artist is growing accustomed to a sound that is steeped deep in soul and RnB. On his latest single titled ‘HONEST’, Hicks has crafted quite a succulent and seductive atmosphere using a blend of vaporous pads, snaky sub bass, watery chords, all along his crisp and distinctive voice, words, and delivery.
‘HONEST’ is a short song whose rich atmosphere carries the brunt of the message it aims to deliver. Populated by a lush layering job of buttery synths and the fresh artist’s multiple vocal layers, the song, in spite of perceived simplicity, ends up sounding nuanced and detailed, but never in an alienating way. Instead, ‘HONEST’ boasts of an endlessly inviting atmosphere that’s dark, creamy, and quite delicious.
Drawing inspirations from Duffy and Ella Fitzgerald, Josh Hick’s balanced quirkiness has earned him comparisons to Amy Winehouse and Sam Smith, both massively unique artists in their own rights. The comparisons do little to define Josh Hick’s distinctive sound that quite fluently blends soul and RnB, though. ‘HONEST’ on the other hand, does a great job at just that.