George Ezra: Gold Rush Kid — Catchy but forgettable pop

In the landscape of mainstream pop guys, George Ezra is one you kind of want to root for. Budapest and Shotgun were relatively inoffensive earworms, destined for broadband and furniture ads, but at least his bass-baritone vocals were refreshing. Specialising in songwriting at BIMM in Bristol, he was no doubt in high demand for any potential barbershop quartets.

His third album Gold Rush Kid is written mostly by Ezra (Joel Pott, who produced the record, and Stuart Price step in for a couple of numbers). The title track tells us everything we need to know; Ezra’s voice remains the best thing about this endeavour, but it’s lost in far too much studio magic. He’s always been a chipper sort, but the chorus of backing singers sound exactly as moved by the message as they are paid to be.

I Went Hunting and In the Morning slow the tempo down. The drawing board no doubt included early Bon Iver records as inspiration, but the “hey, hey, it’s a new day” refrain hammers home the relentless positivity that grew tired an album (or two) ago. Sweetest Human Being Alive relies on “dancing by the light of the moon” for imagery, which is all you need to know about that.

No doubt we’ll be chewing the cud of Green Green Grass on the radio for the rest of the year, but on Gold Rush Kid Ezra remains firmly in the realm of catchy but forgettable pop.