Hazel English

Hazel English is an Oakland based singer-songwriter, originally from Sydney, who more or less creates dream pop pieces inside retro packaging. She seems to have a particularly soft spot for '60s jangle pop she recreates on her 2020 album Wake UP!, including the timbre of some of the instruments, quirky things like castanets and finger snaps, as well as slowing the tempo down for a few measures at the bridges idea that was so popular in that era. The misty quality of her voice gives her a nice inside track on the dream pop business, and she makes use of it without being too overt about it. There are times when her voice hovers over her songs the way Harriet Wheeler used to do with The Sundays. The retro sound was not as prominent in the singles she released early on. Her music is generally upbeat, comfortably settled around the mid to high tempo, with straightforward and catchy melodies.