CD Review of...
Cantinero
Championship Boxing
By: Nicole Roberge
Cantinero is Chris Hicken, a New Yorker by way of England, who spent six years making his debut Championship Boxing (Artemis) in his NYC apartment. It was six years well spent because here he presents us with a stunning lineup of songs ranging from the thought-provoking Nice Day to the melancholy Astronaut and the musically elated Beautiful Mistakes.
Highlights of the album begin with the opening track So Low, with its sounds of desperation and longing as he sings, “In coming alive I have never felt so low.” That later merges into Tuesday, which blends spoken lyrics with the soaring splendor of the chorus, noting his versatility in not only his varied and eclectic music, but in his vocals as well.
On That Guy, Hicken’s clever lyricism shines through: “He thinks it all went down/on that Golden moped ride/He’s very very proud/When you break it all down to the simplest things/That’s him/Glad I’m not that guy.” The reminiscence in The Conversation is poignant and moving with “Well I will always remember/the chance to find/I’m a lot like you.” Championship Boxing ends with the striking Happy When I’m Down—a confessional song with an emotive beauty, ending perfectly with “So for now I think that’s all I have to say…” I, however, cannot wait to hear what he will say next.
A prolific songwriter with a majestic voice and sense of music, Hicken is raw, affecting and honest—a quality often lost in the melding pot of today’s music. Traveling the road of finding his niche in an ever-changing music industry, Hicken has found his home by simply being himself—truly original and dedicated to the music he wishes to create. In It Was Very Hot Today, Hicken sings, “If you have a chance, you’ve got to say SOMETHING.” Well, he certainly has a lot to say on Championship Boxing, and we can be thankful he does.