Joseph Hammill – Infant Hercules
Self Released – 19 October 2018
Infant Hercules is the debut EP by Teesside singer/songwriter Joseph Hammill, frontman of popular local band Cattle& Cane. It comprises of four songs inspired by different aspects of life in his home region.
The EP opens with I Am Yours, a song imagined from the perspective of the town of Saltburn. It has an anthemic feel with a drone-like keyboard note throughout and the vocal is softly sung but immensely powerful. It is a song that bears repeated listening to pick up the subtle instrumental nuances that carry the song along beautifully. The lyric is mesmerising and quite exceptional. It is a great opening track and one of the best new songs I have heard this year.
“I’m a kingdom, I’m an island, I’m a fine unwritten fiction; I am ever-changing weather in a cloud of contradictions; I’m as restless as the waves and as ready as the shore, I am yours.”
If the opening track is anthemic, the title track which comes next is even more so. The title comes from a quote from William Gladstone in 1862 when he said of Middlesbrough “This remarkable place, the youngest child of England’s enterprise, is an infant, but if an infant, an infant Hercules”. The song has already become a Teesside anthem with the lyric being printed on the collar of this season’s Middlesbrough FC kit. It opens with an understated vocal with guitar backing and builds throughout to a full-on drum-led beast of a song that shows a boundless love for the area and its history. It has another very strong lyric and some effective musical backing.
“Built on the banks of the Tees, this infant Hercules; Born from grime, born from graft, the World won’t forget, Infant Hercules.”
Lead Me to the Water is a duet, with Abi Alton joining Joe on this song of love and longing. The voices complement each other perfectly, and the backing which starts off feeling a little overblown soon merges with the vocals to produce a classy pop/folk track. It is a subtle, laid-back number that contrasts well with the two opening tracks.
The EP closes with the acoustic ballad Home To Be Loved which is another well-formed song with a simple guitar backing. It is another take on the classic tale of leaving home and the desire to be back where one feels safe and secure. The vocal carries a genuine longing and emotion throughout and the lyric brings the area to life. “That amber skyline, framed in my mind, no words can describe”
Hammill, already an award-winning songwriter, has said that he wanted to celebrate the spirit of Teesside and with this EP he has certainly done that. These songs drip with a passion and deep pride in the area and the lyrics have a poetic beauty about them. Infant Hercules is a fine showcase for this talented young man.
https://www.cattleandcane.co.uk/