Customer Reviews

Home Again, Home Again

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

 

 

The on-and-off availability of the physical incarnation of this EP, as opposed to its downloadable equivalent, has been a subplot unto itself. It is the sort of thing that can induce frustration in those who are stubbornly traditional in their music-buying habits. A June 26, 2007, release for the CD was listed; as that date approached, the item's listing status abruptly changed to "currently unavailable," although a few third-party gougers on this site offered sealed copies at rarity prices (upwards of $50 in some cases). The wise consumer who adopted the watchful waiting policy was rewarded when HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN became available -- really, this time -- two months later for $6.99. This was more or less a fair price for a disc that, at 18:35, is about a third as long as the full-length Hem albums, and even recycles a track from one of them. Now I see that the EP is once again unavailable from Amazon proper. By the time you read this review, the situation may have corrected itself again. During all of this teasing and withdrawing, I have never seen a copy in any store, even in stores that carry the group's other releases.

Availability headaches aside, this is worth picking up at a reasonable price. If you "do" downloads (I tend not to), there is no strong reason to get the CD instead. The only packaging is an inlay card with the cover illustration above and a band photograph on the back, and a track list with songwriting credits. There is no booklet with printed lyrics or information about the recording dates/personnel. The impetus for the release was the exposure of two Hem songs, the new "The Part Where You Let Go" and the familiar "Half Acre," in acclaimed television commercials for Liberty Mutual. Those are the outer songs in the running order, and the version of "Half Acre" reused here is the RABBIT SONGS one, not the live one (with drums) from the EP shared with Autumn Defense. Bracketed within are four new tracks that maintain the group's established standards of songwriting and production in the service of a style that is a kind of Americana nexus of folk, pop, country, and parlor balladry. "Half Asleep" and "While My Hand Was Letting Go" would have fit very well on EVENINGLAND; indeed, the melody and the arrangement of "Half Asleep" (with its prominent clarinet and tinkling celeste) reminded me of more than one song thereon -- a little of "Lucky," a bit of "A-Hunting We Will Go." "The Meeting Place" and "Home Again" come closer to FUNNEL CLOUD territory; the former is either a glittering fragment of perfection or a promising song cut much too short, depending on one's perspective (musically, it is not a million miles from "Almost Home"). "Home Again" is another attempt in the vein of the polished, driven orchestral pop with which the group has latterly experimented in such tracks as "The Pills Stopped Working" and "Too Late To Turn Back Now."

The sum is a modest but engaging addition to the discography of an act that is surprisingly difficult to pin down. They often do the same basic things (how one feels about one of their collections is likely to determine how s/he feels about the rest), but with subtle calibrations of hue, mood, and texture that ward off an impression of monotony; and the Hem sound is full of identifiable influences and antecedents from the past century and beyond, but it has been shaped and refined into something that sounds like no one else's. Theirs is a singular and most beguiling pastiche.

I was watching TV a little over a month ago when I heard this amazing song (the part where you let go) in a state farm commercial of all places. I was head over heels crazy for this beautiful song, and had to track it down. An exhaustive google search finally brought me to HEM's myspace page. This music is incredible, I highly recommend this album as well as Funnel Clouds and Rabbit Songs.

I have not been disappointed in any of Hem's albums I've ordered since tracking them down from a Liberty Mutual commercial. I do wish they had waited to release a full album with these songs, but I'm also glad I have them sooner rather than later.

A beautiful batch of tunes, especially "The Part Where You Let Go"--a song so beautiful, it can reduce me to tears.

All I want to say is that this is a wonderful disc, and that I highly recommend it.

I first heard this song on the Liberty Mutual commercial and immediately fell in love with it. I wanted the whole song, but did not want to download the entire CD's worth of songs. When I heard about Amazon's non-DRM music service, and found that this song was available, I immediately downloaded it! What a great song! I am playing it repeatedly in the background as I write this, and am happy to own it. The lead singer has such a wonderful, expressive voice, and the gentle music and harmony underly and support her singing. The lyrics are touching, as well.

This has been heard on radio, both free and pay, many times. It went unaappreciated until a couple of songs were snatched up by "Liberty Mutual Insurance Group". I heard both cuts used in the commercials ("The Part Where You Let Go" and "Half Acre") many times. It began to drive me insane as I loved both cuts when I'd heard them before but, never paid enough attention to them to find out who they were and buy them. These commercials are the ones that feature people observing others doing good deeds and passing it on to other folks they meet when they have the opportunity. After some investigating, I found out the band was "HEM" and that the cuts were available on their EP "Home Again Home Again". Needless to say, after one listen to that EP, I was back on the web buying the remainder of their catalog, finding out where to see them and dying with envy after meeting anyone who has seen them as they've yet to come anywhere near me since I discovered them. Their pastoral, almost hauntingly beautiful country/folk/pop orchestral style and incredible abililty to paint pictures and stories with words will amaze you. I can't wait till I get to see this band pull it off live! One listen and you'll be hooked on HEM, too! You'll feel HOME AGAIN HOME AGAIN. (I highly recommend all of their other albums, too!) I'd like to know where the band originated and where the members are from (hometowns) if anyone knows!