Review: Hannah Wicklund – War On Women; Calling All Good Men

Strawberry Moon Records – August 28^th, 2026

Reviewer – David Brighouse

This is the fourth studio album from the South Carolina born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, and it’s 13 songs have a tale to tell or a message to pass on, all of which come from a place of deep personal connection and most reflect Hannah’s own experiences since her last highly acclaimed album ‘The Prize’ (review here) in 2024.

The album opener is the acapella ‘War On Women‘ which starts with the sound of children and an ominous piano chord, then Hannah pleading with men to take a stand and help protect women not exploit them. ‘Red Gorilla‘ is an older track that explodes into life with a dirty guitar riff and has a funky vibe that comes to the fore in the outro. Blues infused ‘Evil Is A Corporation‘ is a swaggering indictment of the media and in particular the record industry and their treatment and attitude to women.

‘Marionettes‘ is another song that had been around a while, but fits in perfectly, piano driven barroom blues with attitude reminiscent of Beth Hart. Heartfelt track ‘The Pier‘ is next up, a breakup song with a wonderfully fuzzed up guitar solo. ‘Diamonds‘ is folky with its acoustic guitar and flute and reminds me of early Led Zeppelin, wonderfully atmospheric but still thoughtfully meaningful with its story of a women lost in her relationship. Acoustic ballad ‘Daggers‘ is another song lead by a strong vocal performance from Hannah, as is the following track ‘The Token‘, an emotional piano led ballad based around her previous relationship.

‘Whistle To Blow‘ is also a shot towards her ex and her frustrations with their relationship, all wrapped up in a superb sleazy guitar led song. I assume ‘Stockholm‘ is more related to the syndrome than the place, with lyrics about a changed relationship accompanied by only acoustic guitar. Stand-out track ‘Coward & Kings‘ features what Hannah herself describes as the greatest guitar solo she has ever put down, recorded live in a single take the song reflects the darker side of the music industry. ‘Total Truth‘ is another track where the main focus is the vocal performance and the lyrics. Closing number ‘Calling All Good Men‘ bookends the record in similar acapella style to the opener, with Hannah offering an olive branch to all the good men out there to help lead the change needed to make the world safer for women and girls.

Hannah Wicklund isn’t afraid of exposing herself artistically as she sees the messages she is trying to deliver as bigger than her own personal considerations, some people may be put off listening to the album as they consider these messages to be too powerful, which would be a great shame as it’s an exceptionally strong rock album from a truly outstanding artist.

Track Listing

1. War On Women
2. Red Gorilla
3. Evil Is A Corporation
4. Marionettes
5. The Pier
6. Diamonds
7. Daggers
8. The Token
9. Whistle To Blow
10. Stockholm
11. Cowards & Kings
12. Total Truth
13. Calling All Good Men

Line-up:

Hannah Wicklund – All Instruments except Drums

Devin Vaughan – Drums

Web Links:

Official Website

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