Album of the Week: Hamish Hawk delivers a watertight triumph with ‘Angel Numbers’
In life and music, some people follow trends, and some don’t. While it is understandably a risk for an artist to follow their natural inclinations despite the zeitgeist, sometimes it can prove to be the making of them. Regarding contemporary British music, one figure who has continually defied the norm is Hamish Hawk. A musical outlier like his heroes whose influence can be heard as touchstones throughout, with his new album Angel Numbers, he might have just struck gold.
Just when people were writing off the singer-songwriter trope, Hawk returned with his new album. A remarkably robust batch of 12 songs that bounce between power pop and pure balladry, Hawk has made good on the promise of his previous offering, 2021’s Heavy Elevator. Building on the refined sound of his last album, Angel Numbers sees Hamish write more dynamic songs than before, with this vocal delivery, lyricism and all-around knack for songwriting taken up a couple of notches. Many props also have to go to his band, who shine throughout.
While his almost-crooning form of vocal delivery might take a little getting used to for some listeners, it is the perfect conduit for him to regale us with various entertaining and surreal tales. These include Bill Callahan visiting him in a dream (‘Bill’), watching Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show (‘Elvis Lookalike Shadows’), and the future being a hate-filled factory (‘Think Of Us Kissing’). These lyrical flourishes, in addition to the musical prowess on display, position Hawk as a millennial answer to Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy. This is no bad thing at all.
Hawk’s range of vocal melodies is one of the record’s highlights. Whilst it is brimming with moments of note, his performances on tracks such as ‘Think Of Us Kissing’, ‘Elvis Lookalike Shadows’ and ‘Money’ are three that instantly stand out thanks to alluring toplines.
Range is something that the album does very well. In fact, it is this multi-faceted nature that keeps the listener immersed. Musically, there are obvious nods to the likes of Bill Callahan, most notably on ‘Bill’, which directly mentions the Smog man.
Moving on from that obvious connection, there are instances of power pop glory, with the title track and ‘Dog-eared August’ typifying this. The latter is sure to pop off in the live setting, containing hues of Glasvegas and White Lies at their most anthemic.
Elsewhere, on cuts such as ‘Rest and Veneers’, which is lifted by the delicate voice of Samantha Crain, it is possible to hear the likes of Feist and Real Estate. Then, on the track ‘Bridget St. John’, there’s a luscious bassline and swooning strings of a quality that the late Scott Walker would be proud of composing.
Finally, for a real moment of beauty, look to ‘Frontman’ featuring Anna B. Savage. When Hawk and Savage’s voices dovetail with the glistening strings in the middle, it might just be the most exquisite moment on the record.
A complete album that’s not afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hamish Hawk becomes much more prominent after the release of Angel Numbers. Jools Holland is calling.
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