Hammock’s music is cerebral, beautiful, and emotional, and this new record includes all these elements but also takes steps in new directions. There are a myriad of different voices occurring throughout this song suite, and there are faster paced songs as well. The band often paints somber musical portraits, but even in the deepest darkness, there are glimmers of light floating through. When I try to describe their music to the uninitiated, I am often at a loss to adequately come up with proper adjectives. Nobody sounds exactly like Hammock, and nobody mixes in the sacred along with ambient sound waves and dreamy elements like they do. Is music for stargazing enough to describe the immersive experience demanded of listeners when they listen to Hammock? Perhaps it is on one level, but there is so much more happening here. On another level, this record is about recovering from the bad times. It is inward facing and reflective, even as Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson open their arms and welcome you in with a swell of warm musical waves. Their music is always accessible, but possibly never more than this occasion. The album was mixed by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Jónsi) and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound.
“Turn Away and Return” opens the door and you are awash in the band’s signature sound, both reminded of the past and reaffirming the present. Light, airy vocals float in and out, almost ephemeral in their presence. Then the single “Clarity” kicks in, and you’re in another world altogether. The energy and vibrations are high, and the style approaches dreamy shoegaze, but in no way is this derivative. There are a ton of bright, gauzy layers with a magnificent symphonic sheen and a slightly faded percussive track, all designed to draw you in and keep you engaged.
“Glassy Blue” is the third pre-released single, and it’s fronted by an acoustic guitar. The song’s strata slowly builds and then in swoop the vocals. Everything in this arrangement just works in perfect unison, and I feel my mind soar in tandem. At the 3 minute mark, the song is stripped back slightly to bring the acoustic guitar forward, and then the voices chime back in.
“Dissonance”, the first released single, is another faster paced song, and has all the trippy elements that keep me coming back for more. Like other selections here, the song could be describing the darkest corner of someone’s heart and mind, but the music is so buoyant and joyous that I am mesmerized.
“Marathon Boy” is solemn and quiet, with lovely piano leading off. Its watery sounds reminds me of the grandeur of a ship in full sail, gliding silently through the harbor. The point here and everywhere is that every listener can form their own mental pictures as this majestic music unfolds, regardless of the writer’s personal intent or even the song title. “We Could Have Been Beautiful Again” is a bit mournful, and could be the regret of missing a second chance at love. A faint background voice, maybe on a phone call, is heard for a short time.
The title track is fast-paced with seemingly simple lyrics carried to complexity by the intricate musical arrangement. The words seem upbeat, yet the music has a slightly air of melancholy. It is this dichotomy that Hammock excels at; it’s all about the contrasts with them. “She Was In the Field Counting Stars” is filled with the wonder of creation, and excited voices percolate beneath the surface. The song ebbs and flows like the endless march of the cosmos. “Burning Down the Fascination” is a lovely slice of dream pop, and it’s indicative of the change in the band’s focus on this release. “Wasted We Stare At the Ceiling” can mean so many things; it could be someone on a bender spacing out, or it could mean something entirely different. It is surrounded by a beautiful sonic tapestry and is slightly psychedelic. The end sounds almost like a Tim Hecker song. “Reverence” is classic Hammock, surrounding the listener with warmth and it has a pastoral shine to it. “I Will Become the Ground You Walk On” is humbling and reverential to the song’s subject, who could be a higher power or a loved one. Lovely cello slips in and out between piano and many layers of glistening sound. “We Were So Young” is loud and in your face compared to the earlier songs, and it has a full complement of lyrics to boot. I am almost reminded of Peter Gabriel’s early solo efforts as it filters through my head. “You Walk Around…Shining Like the Sun” has a punchy percussive backdrop and glistens like its title. It settles into a slower cadence and becomes a different song altogether. “Unspoken” is spacey dream pop with Marc’s wife Christine on “angelic vocals”. Gorgeous work! “Before You Float Away Into Nothing” is the album’s closer, and it starts off with organ. I can envision myself sitting in a vast cathedral with this song echoing all around me, filling me with wonder and hope. This entire album will soothe and even enthrall you as it flits by, cocooning you inside a very real dream state. Highly recommended for those who have never heard the band and for all long time Hammock fans.
