Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
To show the reveal in the first act could be considered risky in theatre, after all where can the great director and the cast take you when you already have been told where the lead character will be taken, and why they are important to the narrative.
The narrative can be altered though, the reveal when shown early can lead to greater expectancy than first believed, and when given the respect it is due, can make the protagonist more than a hero, more than just inspiration, it can be the moment of revelation.
For Liverpool singer songwriter Paul Holden and his first single ahead of his new E.P., Say It To The Sun, the superb Help Me Anytime You Want, is surely a moment of great personal pride, as well as being a track that encompasses a terrific pulse of performance woven through it like fine silk in an historically rich tapestry.
The reveal is one that should never detract from what Paul Holden is, and that is a stunning writer first and foremost, the song not only has depth, a sheer magnitude for the exploration and belief, a tune that is harmonious in own singular delivery, it is also one delivered with absolute passion, with the knowledge that the song itself is the reason to hold Paul Holden close to the musical heart. The fact that Mr. Holden has Nemaline Myopathy is a secondary figure in this great music presence, and proves, as if proof were required that having a disability does still means you can have a voice, that you can be taken seriously as a performer.
There will always be those well meaning and intentioned people that will praise the person for being brave, but it should be said that bravery is an inherent sign of humanity, what Paul Holden achieves in this song, as he will do in his upcoming E.P., is that talent, that special quality that brings our thoughts directly to the audience, is one that should never be discouraged, never be betrayed, and for any person, disabled or not, to have someone step in and just help bring a truth of expression to the crowd, without making it about them, is the greatest of assistance and backing possible.
The reveal is that Paul Holden is a magical find, an artist of integrity, of meaning, and Help Me Anytime You Want is brutally cool and full of spirit and wonder.
Paul Holden releases the E.P. Say It To The Sun on 19th August.
Ian D. Hall