‘Koryn Hawthorne’ will be name largely unfamiliar to soul music fans. The gospel singer featured on the 8^th season of NBC’s The Voice (2015), hitting the top 10 on iTunes with her storming cover of Foy Vance’s ‘Make it Rain’. Under the coaching of Pharrell Williams, Hawthorne finished in fourth place. Almost three years later, Hawthorne has finally released her eponymous debut EP. With only four tracks, let me dissect each one in turn.

1. Warriors

Clearly, the song’s lyrics and themes are clichéd: ‘Warriors’ is a redemption song about ignoring the words of your detractors and achieving self-actualisation. Hawthorne implores her audience to ignore the ‘enemy’ and to be ‘iconic’ and ‘defeat the odds’ amongst other tropes. Consistent with Hawthorne’s song choices on The Voice, there is a Christian subtext too. While less talented vocalists would fail to elevate ‘Warriors’ beyond a beige power anthem, Hawthorne is able to enliven these lyrics with her passionate and intense delivery. To my delight, the first line of this rocky midtempo showcases the delicious breaks in Hawthorne’s voice. The octave leaps in the verses allow Hawthorne to stretch her voice, revealing her distinctive, throaty tone – juxtaposed beautifully against her whispery soft notes elsewhere. The song is over-produced, but its thumping chorus sounds radio-ready.

2. Speak the Name

Hawthorne’s delivery on this piano-driven gospel ballad cannot be faulted. She begins in her husky, rich, yet slightly tremulous lower register before opening up her vocal as the song progresses. Her distinct rasp and vibrato gives colour to what is ultimately a gospel dirge. Replete with gospel clichés such as ‘moving mountains’ and ‘healing water’, Hawthorne implores her audience to ‘speak the name’. The name, which the song thuddingly spells out, is the ‘name of Jesus’. For diehard gospel music fans, ‘Speak the Name’ may very well hit the mark. However, the song languishes after the second chorus and lacks the soaring crescendo necessary to make the Jesus-fest a bit more palatable.

3. Reasons (feat J. Monty)

A fun, Lauryn Hill-esque ditty rich in personality. To my pleasant surprise, Hawthorne’s voice fits the jazzy tempo of the song with her characteristic vocal breaks used to full effect. A buoyant, frothy song where Hawthorne celebrates ‘doing [her] dance’, ‘Reasons’ demonstrates that Koryn can do more than just intense gospel. However, J. Monty’s contribution – a croaky rap section – is rather unwelcome.

4. Won’t He Do It (Remix)

Another faith song, this time uptempo. While Koryn does display some impressive vocal firepower in the final third of the song, ‘Won’t He Do It’ largely coasts along with a forgettable melody.

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Overall, a promising start for this preternaturally talented teenager. However, I can’t shake off an underlying frustration with the overproduction of the EP. Koryn’s voice does shine through but she is yet to unleash her true potential both vocally and emotionally. If I could offer some advice to Hawthorne, it would be to strip down the production and place her resonant and shredded vocals front and centre.

Grade: B-

(Image copyright: RCA Inspiration)