Customer Reviews

Délivrance [Vinyl]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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"

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.