Délivrance

A Hawk and A Hacksaw, A Hawk and a Hacksaw | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 23, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: The Leaf Label
• ASIN: B001V88DI6
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,967 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The journey of A Hawk and a Hacksaw--Jeremy Barnes (vocals, accordion, drums) and partner Heather Trost (violin)--embraces the sounds of myriad places and people. From the midlands of England and France to the Czech Republic, Romania, and Hungary via the pair's hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, this evolving musical story continues to enthrall. Delivrance forges deeper into the culture of the old East and comes back with a suite of euphoric melodies for times of revelry.

Recorded in Budapest during mid-2008 around the core of the Hun Hangar Ensemble (a group of extraordinarily talented Hungarian folk musicians), Delivrance proves that months of submersion in the local culture and making music the focus of daily life has seeped right through Barnes and Trost's songwriting and playing. This is by far their most vivid, intense, and confident work to date.

A mix of traditional songs and original compositions appear on the album. Opener Foni Tu Argile is from Greece, traditionally played on bouzouki with vocals. Collaborator Chris Hladowski (Scatter, Nalle) helps transform into a righteous instrumental stomp with an incredibly seductive, heavily percussive melody that is rich with color and almost seems laden with spice and incense. "Kertesz" sets off a frenzied accordion, racing against the flashing bow of the violin and distinctive sound of the cimbalom, a dulcimer-like instrument played with sticks.

Raggle Taggle touches on a plangent note of sorrow before the violins caper off into a heady dance--an example of typical Hungarian style, but with new melodies. Turkiye urges another breathless dancing spree; this time the trumpet blares atop a swath of melodies from Turkey, Serbia, and Bosnia alongside some brand new ones. The evocatively titled Vasalisa Carries a Flaming Skull Through the Forest has the aspect of a funereal march, with the clarinet in the spotlight.

Barnes and Trost's new band begin touring mid-March, kicking things off with a SXSW appearance, followed by North American shows with Andrew Bird and Wilco. Their European tour will begin in Leeds on May 2 as part of Fuseleeds09. There will be plenty more festival appearances this summer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hunting Season!, November 6, 2009

By 

Brik (Greensboro, NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Délivrance (Audio CD)

This is the fourth full-length album by A Hawk and A Hacksaw and by far their most traditional. The opener, "Foni Tu Agrile" is a great traditional melody that is a real foot-stomper. NPR featured it as the song of the day a few months ago. The other big highlight is "Lassu." Heather Trost's work on some sort of violin-trumpet instrument for this song is heart-breaking. The whole track sounds like someone kind melancholic joy for a misanthrope. The rest of the album is very good although the hammer dulcimer gets a bit tired after a while. As usual Jeremy Barnes' percussion and accordion playing is something to be admired as well as whoever plays the Bouzouki.

If you like Beirut but want more musicianship than this is your band. If you don't know who Beirut is then just imagine very good, not cartoonish, Easter European music. See them live if you get the chance; it's a completely different experience.

Buy this album and "The Way the Wind Blows"

4.0 out of 5 stars Yeah!, July 7, 2010

By 

24bitbob "24bitbob" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Délivrance (Audio CD)

I second Brik's review. This really is a very good album. It's world music with an Eastern European folksy feel which is good for an outing at regular intervals. It's alternative, in the sense that it is contemporary, but not really like too much like many people are likely to have listened to. It doesn't quite make the grade as 'unputdownable', but it's damn good and for those who dare venture into areas outside of where they normally go, then this is well worth the money. I think that Brik may be right, and I'd love to test his suggestion - methinks these guys are probably absolutely brilliant live. Not 5 stars imho, but well worth the money.