Customer Reviews

Rabbit Songs

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this album as a present for a friend of mine who loves to sing along with Gillian Welch, Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, and the Indigo Girls, but I ended up keeping it for myself.

Saddled firmly in the beautiful space between country, folk, and bluegrass, the meloncholy songs on this album continually please. Sally Ellyson's breezy vocals set the tone for a consistently strong, but delicate album. As far as instrumentation goes, most of the songs are centered on piano or acoustic guitar, but they are wonderfully layered with fiddle, lap steel, and orchestral flourishes. The musicianship is top notch -- and I can't help wondering whether these guys spend more time in Nashville than their stated home of Brooklyn.

The lyrics are simple and heartbroken. Solid for the genre, but neither an asset nor a distraction.

Of the selections Amazon lets you try out, "When I
was Drinking" and "Half Acre" are the most consistent with what the rest of the album has to offer. Give those a listen, and it should be pretty easy to make up your mind. If you're anything like me (or my poor friend who gets no present), Rabbit Songs will become part of your collection.

One small caveat: the reason I gave this album four stars instead of five is because it's not for everyone. If you're into this genre, you'll definitely like it, but I know a lot of people who would be bored or put off by its slowness. Also, there are better albums that are very similar to this one (Gillian Welch's "Soul Journey," for example).

Still, if you like your music like a pretty morning sunrise, go no further.

Hem's "Rabbit Songs" is a beautiful mix of soft gentle melodies that soothe and lull you. At the same time, there's a lyrical edge as in "When I Was Drinking," "When I was with you living it up when the rent was due." Dan Messe's piano on "Halfacre" gives a sweet undulation, "So we carry every sadness with us." "Burying Song" is a lovely instrumental that flits by quickly. Sally Ellyson's vocals are soft and beautiful like a high flying bird on "Betting On Trains," "I held a silver dollar tight inside my fist & let you go." There is a classic feel to "Leave Me Here" with the yin and yang of a happy piano and sad viola. "I got shadows snapping at my tail who say I'm no damn good," Sally sings on "All That I'm Good For," with its feel like a gentle rain. "Idle (The Rabbit Song)" gives a carefree feel, "Gonna waste some time with you & let this world go." Part of the magic Hem creates comes from its sterling attention to the arrangements. On "Stupid Mouth Shut" we hear viola, cello, clarinet, flute, oboe, piano, guitar, and pedal steel guitar! "Lazy Eye" is a sentimental remembrance, "I can still see the hem of your dress." "Salior" is a dreamy float made magical with Tim McCarthy's french horn wafting over the clouds. "Polly's Dress" is a pretty instrumental piano piece. My favorite track is Steve Curtis' "Night Like A River" with the happy pluck of strings, "I could live a long while on the sweetness of her breath." Hem does a great reading on the traditional song "The Cuckoo." The instrumental "Waltz" is a very dear reflective piece with Meese's piano and Heather Zimmerman's violin. The CD concludes with "Horsey," "You float over everyone in your rings and your wing-tip shoes." "Rabbit Songs" is a delightful CD because it is both well done and different; it feels old and new at the same time. This is one for the quiet moments. Enjoy!

Hem composes and plays some of the most honest and gorgeous music ever committed to recording material today. This antiquated (and I mean that in a very nice way) collection of heartfelt and emotional songs seems to harken back to a nice and simple time when America was bathed in a pastoral haze of sunshine and simplicity. To achieve their unique and homespun organic sound, Hem utilizes acoustic and electric instrumentation that takes the listener to a place where one can truly escape the everyday hectic drudgery of the rat race and chill out. In this ho hum world of musical dreck, I highly recommend listening to Hem! See them live if you can. Excellent musicianship!

Sally Ellyson's heavenly voice, unaccompanied, quietly singing a lilting lullabye opens the masterpiece of an album that is Rabbit Songs.

The remainder of the album paints a haunting picutre with mixed musical influences. If I had to classify, I'd be most tempted to file this one under country, but it's a far cry from Shania Twain. Folk, gentle pop, bluegrass and even some moderate rock all spill into the stew as well.

Ellyson's smooth, almost smoky vocal sings out lilting tales of lost loves ("When I Was Drinking," "Lazy Eye", almost loves ("Stupid Mouth Shut") and current loves ("All That I'm Good For," "Idle"). The lyrics spawn some memorable images ("I'm not so strong out of my shoes / dragging like anchors" - from 'Sailor,' "restless stars through the trees / enough to fall to our knees / make no sound so no one sees" - from 'Idle'), and definitely aren't anything close to bad, but in the same breath, they're not the star of the show.

The music succeeds, more than the lyrics, in creating the albums colour. Most songs rely on a piano and/or acoustic guitar, usually with some gorgeous horns or strings and some light percussion backing them up. "When I Was Drinking," "Horsey" and "All That I'm Good For" have a definite twang to them; "The Cuckoo" could've been on the 'O Brother Where Art Thou' soundtrack; "Leave Me Here," "Sailor" and "Lazy Eye" are sublimely slow numbers and "Stupid Mouth Shut," "Night Like a River" and the absloutely fantastic "Half Acre" have a more folk/pop flavour, through all of which floats the beautiful vocal.

There are also three instrumental tracks. "Burying Song" has some light, plucked guitar, countered with an oboe, a violin, a flute and some piano. "Polly's Dress" is a shy, piano driven number with a supportive string arrangement. "Waltz" is also piano driven with a violin lead and is somwhat somber and moody.

This is not loud, abrasive or anything like that, but if you're a fan of softer music, you'd do well to give this a spin. The band has created a beautiful, haunting peice of work, and I for one, eagerly await their follow-up.

I was afraid this album might be a bit too sleepy. Not so - this is not Greenwich Village 1965, acoustic folk, Judy Collins on lead vocals. I thought a previous reviewer's reference to late 60s Nashville was quite apt. The breakthrough though, is that Hem has retained the the quiet lushness of that sound (Glen Campbell, Dusty Springfield, et al) while at the same time removing 99% of the sap that frequently crept into that kind of production. For me, melodies either work or they don't - either they are arresting or they're not. The melodies here work and arrest, consistently. And Sally Ellyson? This is a beautiful voice. Minimal vibrato, no whoops or swoops - just super ultra crystal clean pure notes. These tunes remind me of the terminology used to describe high end speakers - crisp, clear, non-fatiguing. You could listen to this all day long, and you just may want to. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the quietly sublime.

My father introduced me to rabbit songs when it first came out. He was truely a music man and would give me tips on unusual and fantastic talent. My father past on a few years back and some family members and I saw HEM in concert in NY. We had e-mailed the HEM web site and requested they play "Leave me here" in his honor at that concert and they did - the most wonderful performance I have ever seen. No music will ever move me to tears and emotion like HEM and I am so grateful to have been lucky enough to see them live. Thank you HEM. You are truely amazing musicians.

This is just a beautiful album, there is no way around it. Hem (led by the incredible voice of Sally Ellyson) has done an excellent job of updating folk music (and all of its derivatives) into a more modern, compelling medium. It starts with an a capella lullabye, then moves its way through interpretations of bluegrass ("The Cuckoo"), country ("Stupid Mouth Shut"), and pop ("Night Like a River." There are a few instrumental pieces as well which are equally enjoyable. I have already been to a wedding where they played "Waltz" as the bridal party came down the aisle. It was very moving...

I have introduced just about all of my friends to this band, and everyone (regardless of their background and taste) has loved it and purchased a copy for themselves. Very Highly recommended!!

This record is a breath of fresh air. It recalls early American music, mid60's Nashville and smoky barroom jazz. The singer has a fantastic Ella-ish voice and the arrangements are both creative and evocative. The music has a definite country tinge to but manages to cover quite a bit more ground. This reminds me a bit of Gillian Welch but is more creaky and old sounding. good lyrics as well. I highly recommend it.

So, I become haunted by the background music for a commercial for an insurance company. I go to their website and play the commercial for my daughter who miraculously finds out the name of the music group - HEM - in about ten minutes. Less than a week later I'm completely absorbed and overwhelmed by RABBIT SONGS. The simplicity of the lyrics, the achingly beautiful melodies, especially in songs such as: "Sailor", "Half Acre", "Betting On Trains", and "Leave Me Here", literally bring tears to my eyes. If you don't like HEM's music, all I can do is extend my deepest sympathies for your shallow tastelessness.

"Rabbit Songs" is an understated beauty. Weeping guitars, moaning oboes, and Sally Ellyson's vocals are blissful melancholy: light, plaintive, effortless, and stirring.
Probably one of the best lyrics ever written is on this CD, "The sidewalk bends where your house ends, like the neighborhood is on its knees." Incredible. I nearly drop to my knees just hearing that.
Their gentle explorations of musical elements and influences exhibit strands of Americana, folk, and country with shades of English and Celtic folk wafting through the instrumentals. These songs evoke misty hand-holding walks and overgrown wildflowers in the American backwoods.