It is safe to say that it has been an excellent year for HATS™, and I consider myself lucky to have been on the receiving end of a string of fantastically creative, delicate, and graceful singles. So what better way to head towards the end of the year than with a return to one of those early releases and a remix of “fear the mourning?”
This slow-burning song, which originally rose from folk intimacy to alt-rock crescendoes, now pursues a slightly different sonic path. There is more space and room for classical touches, a more ambient and restrained groove, and a less explosive payoff. Yet for all these more understated vibes, the song is no less powerful, perhaps more so, as the vocals become even more of a focal point.
And, as always, there is always something interesting going on in the lyrics. Not just the delivery and additional motifs, which see whole layers of sound added from just voice-as-instrument textures and tones, but the poignant message being carried ni the words themselves. “fear the mourning” reminds us that the avoidance of the state of grief and healing in the wake of a loved one’s passing, perhaps through the use of substances or alcohol, often leads us to a place where we are dishonoring the wishes of the very person that we couldn’t face saying goodbye to.
“fear the mourning” is a brilliant summation of what HATS™ does best. It is that ability to create such beautiful music to engage in the most challenging conversations that makes them an artist to watch out for.
Yes, this has been an excellent year for them, and after such a great start, you can’t help but be excited to see what next year holds in store—wonderous things, I should imagine.
