Rabbit Songs

Hem

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 24, 2005)
• Original Release Date: January 15, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder / Umgd
• ASIN: B0009A1BX6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,843 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

1. When I Was Drinking

2. Half Acre

3. Burying Song

4. Betting on Trains

5. Leave Me Here

6. All That I’m Good For

7. Idle (The Rabbit Song)

8. Stupid Mouth Shut

9. Lazy Eye

10. Sailor

11. Polly’s Dress

12. Night Like a River

13. The Cuckoo

14. Waltz

15. Horsey

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

HEM’s debut album Rabbit Songs now available again through Rounder Records.

HEM has drawn comparisons to artists as disparate as Nick Drake, Mazzy Star, Sandy Denny and Jeff Buckley and drawn fans as varied as The Chemical Brothers, Glenn Tilbrook, Linda Thompson, James Iha and Beth Orton. The music is lush and filled with eclectic harmonies: a mandolin enveloped by an 18-piece orchestra, a pedal steel accentuated by a glockenspiel, underpinned by guitar and piano in an elaborate framework. And through it all, Sally Ellyson’s beautiful voice shaping each word. ASCAP award-winning songwriter and Rabbit Songs Co-Producer, Dan Messé sold off most of his personal possessions so he could afford the orchestras, and the luxury of being as painstaking as they wanted over the arrangements of each song. No samples, no synths, no Pro-Tools mixing and no digital studio wizardry were employed. Rabbit Songs is an old school album, recorded the old school way. Guitarist / Co-Producer Gary Maurer, a seasoned studio engineer, has engineered and / or produced a host of artists and bands including Jon Spencer, Luna and Fountains Of Wayne. "Sally Ellyson has one of those voices - an understated powerhouse that wows with serene confidence. The result is a rich debut that shouldn’t be overlooked" - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Americana Musical Bliss, July 28, 2006

By	Rixter109 "Rick" (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews

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!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing - true musical tallent beyond belief, November 29, 2006

By	Amy R. Switlyk "Amy Switlyk" (Lebanon, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

23 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank You Liberty Mutual!, July 8, 2006

By	Christine Rowe (Danville, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.