Hammingwell - Warm
From a personal perspective, I have watched Jeff White, Dave Bailey, Steve Jackson and Michael Fisher develope this album over the last 3 years. Hammingwell first appeared on The Songwriters in 2001, with their instruments, performing the songs live in the studio, as they had no recorded material to play at the time. (Actually... It was a treat to hear!)
But this album goes back farther than that!
It's routes can be found in the mid 1970's with Hammingwell Grange, during the heyday of the musical movement known as Progressive Rock. But, I think that to call "Warm" Prog-Rock is to do it an injustice. It is an intriguing collection of musical influences and tastes, that defies easy categorization, making the album all the more intriguing.
Unfortunately, this album is released into a market that is too quick to categorize, and too prone to the easy way out. The Local market is flooded with Irish/Newfoundland bands ad nausium, thumping out a seemingly endless stream of jigs, reels and drinking songs to cater to the pub crawling George Street Mentality. Music that tries to extend beyond that mould is often met with scepticism.
"Warm" is a finely crafted and thoroughly enjoyable CD. Partly through the excellent production assistance of Tom Ronan, and the fine vocals Rowena Harvey, but mainly through the cumulative musical idea's, and ideals, of 4 artists drawn over a 25 year span.
If you would like to pick up a copy of this, or any other great Newfoundland Artist CD's, (In person or online), just visit Fred's Records. They have the best selection of Newfoundland music you're likely to find, along with all your favorites!
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