Terry's Reviews
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Music Reviews: |
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Hammock Raising Your Voice…Trying To Stop An Echo Darla Records - 2006 |
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| When two musicians
frustrated with the shallowness of the corporate music industry joined together it was a
marriage made in music heaven. Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson got together to record some
music and over the course of two years were able to capture their feelings for the beauty
of the south, emptiness of the wide-open space and how life is full of tragedy and hope. You feel the a deep sense of accomplishment in "I Can Almost See You." The slow rhythmic quality of the instrumentation generates the sense of overcoming something that you had to work long and hard at. Hearing straight vocals in the second track "Raising Your Voice…Trying to stop an Echo" comes somewhat as a surprise but it works. It actually took me a couple listens to appreciate the way the band I’m sure intended. The music has the huge ambient hooks Hammock knows how to create. The Nashville roots of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson can be heard in the country based guitar tonality of the third track "Losing You to You." A beautiful female voice laces the highpoint of this song. Hammock dredges up deep, dark beautiful ambience in "When the Sky Pours Down Like a Fountain." Guitars of all sorts take us back to "The House Where We Grew Up." Hammock literally takes us to Heaven as an audio message with "God Send Us A Signal." The celestial floating high-strung guitars took me to a place bright and peaceful. "Clouds Cover the Stars" is a little snit bit of mood. The guitar rhythm of "Floating Away In Every Direction" will pick you up like a kite in an exhilarating warm wind. The stop-n-go flow of this track is passionate with peaks and valleys. The piano in "Take a Drink From My Hands" is done in such a way that it feels like the gift of life is given to someone in need of help. Touching, poignant and special accurately describes what the band captures. The soft higher pitch bell sounds in "Startle the Heavens (Lament)" make your hair stand with emotion. The tender guitars fuel the passion surge this tenth track gives. A little gray cloud rolls overhead in the form of "More Dead Than Alive (Get Away from the Medicine)" before the force of "Disappear Like the Morning..." squeezes a wonderful arousing response. The male voice soothes over " ...Like Starlight Into Day" and blends right in with the music. The musical movement of "Shipwrecked (Flat On Your Back)" rolls in and out like calm ocean waves. Christine Glass Byrd adds her beautiful voice to this track and the other times a lovely female voice is heard on this album. "Chorus of Trees" consists of gentle guitars swaying like a soft breeze over the course of two-minutes. The same description would describe "Passing Away." Guitars and piano work in harmony in "Will You Ever Love Yourself." The last track "Sparkle and Fade" aptly describes what the band is able to do with each dreamy tune on this astonishing CD. Raising Your Voice…Trying To Stop An Echo has found a permanent spot in my CD player and is without question one of the preeminent albums I’ve listened to this year. |
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