Hamish Hawk – Heavy Elevator
Assai Recordings – 17 September 2021
Suddenly Hamish Hawk is everywhere, and with good reason, his latest release, Heavy Elevator, is perhaps the most literate album of 2021. Of course, embedding the likes of Christopher Wren in a song takes you far beyond the pale of Britney Spears and “Oops, I Did It Again.” Which actually is the point; Hawk has absolutely no interest in becoming a part of that world. Hamish Hawk pop star? Not on your life! His goals are far more literate. Yet, he still is the kind of Scotsman who can go a little week in the knees when spying a Proclaimer in the local coffee shop.
Literate to a fault, Hawk writes lines that linger in the brain, with music to match. Drums snap you to attention, followed by a bassline full of malice as Hawk begins to sing somewhat accusatorially, “Spent the last three years asleep/ A town called misery/ No one seems to live here except me.” Discordant bursts of guitar fracture, creating the feeling that this is less a song than a plea for help. A bold statement for the first single, “Caterpillar.”
Slightly less intense, with bursts of Al Kooper-ish organ, “Calls to Tiree” blasts away at the notion that everything is going well in Hawk’s world, in case that hadn’t been clear enough on “Caterpillar.” “Do you know what it’s like to live/ as a jester in the eyes of those you love.” Just at the point when you think that this must be the most depressing guy on the planet, he lets loose with, “These days are wearing thin/ Edith Piaf singing about some accordion.” That’s when you begin to realise there’s something special about this guy.
In case you need more proof, look no further than “The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion 1973.” Amidst bursts of guitar, Hawk lets loose with lines more literate than 99% of the pop music being made today, “To write a cathedral, I’ll need a ball-point pen/ It’ll sound like ‘Common People’ sung by Christopher Wren.” Despite the references to the designer of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Hawk’s goal is to write simply unforgettable songs. He’s mentioned, “I never ever want to write songs that could be mistaken for other songs. I want to have my fingerprint on everything.”
While some may call Heavy Elevator a burst of fresh air, it seems more like a gale-force wind. Hawk appears to be the man of the moment, and he feels up to the task of taking music into places it hasn’t often gone before. He’s unafraid to talk about feelings and open up in ways that simply aren’t part of the normal conversation. Organ and bass lead off “New Rhododendrons” while Hawk creates a palate for investigation, “I’ve come all over Paul the Apostle/ This old life’s impossible/ Can’t quite stand the site of Edinburgh Castle/ Can’t quite finish a beer.”
Stylistically covering an array of musical forms, Hamish Hawk has created a work of greatness. It goes beyond musical norms to become something magical. At this moment, he has his hands on the controls. All you need to do is enter the Heavy Elevator.
Order Heavy Elevator: https://ffm.bio/hamishhawk