Artist.......: Hemlock Smith
Album........: Keep the devil out of Hillsboro
Label........: Editions de la grande Berthe
Genre........: Indie
Catnr........: n/a
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Oct-07-2009
str.date.....: 2009
quality......: VBR/44.1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: n/a
track title time
01. keep the devil out of hillsboro 04:11
02. blink 03:18
03. my wonderful bereaved 03:49
04. queen of the spring ball 04:32
05. dunkirk jerusalem 04:34
06. spring is mine 03:25
07. brackets 02:58
08. family tree 04:53
09. every one is love 05:25
10. loveless eternal 05:06
11. little jesus and the housecat 04:52
12. carnival of souls 05:27
13. north sea 04:13
14. testament 05:04
Runtime 61:47 min
Size 78,0 MB
Release Notes:
Some people wanted to see in Hemlock Smith a
somewhat äcinematicô band, whatever that means. Not
even upset by that statement, these musicians from
Lausanne, Switzerland, took it literally last year
and embarked upon a journey that took them to
medieval Sweden, recreating the film score for äSir
ArneÆs Treasureô, a silent classic directed by
Mauritz Stiller in 1919. ItÆs like they wanted to
get this ämovie misunderstandingô out of their way,
once and for all. But not quite.
Because with äKeep the Devil out of Hillsboroô,
their third record, Hemlock Smith prove that this
experience also allowed them to refine the contours
of their universe, between delicate songwriting and
subtle, never showy arrangements. In one word, the
band strenghten their musical identity, using all
the varieties of style contained in modern folk
music. They also reunite some of the shadows that
influence their craft, from Tom Waits to Mark
Hollis, from the classy country music of Lambchop
to the intellectual, arty rock of dEUS.
That very successful blend shows itself first in
the quality of the orchestrations. Spartan,
composite or luxurious, the arrangements always
seem to let the songs breathe while clothing them
really fine. Accordion, banjo, violin or choir
improve the tunes without choking them, sometimes
drifting into Mingus territory (ôFamily Treeö),
sometimes evoking a callous blues or a circus waltz
that even Nick Cave would be proud of (äBlinkô and
äDunkirk/Jerusalemô).
As for the most stripped down tracks from the
album, they also benefit from this assured
songwriting. Built around a breezy guitar or a
muted piano, cruising with a delicate rhythm
section, they are steered by the most particular
voice of singer Michael Frei. Storyteller or
crooner, Hemlock SmithÆs vocalist adjusts his
delivery from song to song, slowly lyrical,
magnetic or restrained.
But, most importantly, heÆs able to enhance the
delicacy of the arrangements, like in the very
mysterious äThe North Seaô, a tribute to deceased
scandinavian pianist Esbj÷rn Svensson, a tune whose
watery melancholy doesnÆt imitate this musician
but, in a way, tenderly ädescribesô him.
This track, even though it is a special one on the
record, symbolizes quite perfectly the
transformation achieved by this band on äKeep the
Devil out of Hillsboroô, an album of accomplished
craft, nourished from past experience and original
in their own way. Full of humble beauty, the songs
of Hemlock Smith shouldnÆt suffer from any kind of
cinematic comparison no more. Their own magnetism
will now be enough to fuel our imagination.