The sixth of an occasional feature in which I’ll draw your attention to some albums that have been purchased in 2023 and which I reckon are worth highlighting.
This is actually a bit of a two-for-one effort, as this year also saw me make a purchase of the artist’s previous album that was released back in 2021.
Hamish Hawk is an Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter. He’s been making music since as far back as 2014, but it is really only over the past few years that he’s come to greater prominence. He’s someone I had previously dismissed out of hand, all as a result of seeing him as a support act for Arab Strap back in October 2021. His performance that evening was a solo show, and while there were a couple of times when I thought there was a decent song or vocal coming from the stage, he didn’t do enough to keep my attention for more than a few minutes.
The songs he played that night were mostly from the album Heavy Elevator, a record that many folk in Scotland were talking up as being an exceptional release, with references to The Divine Comedy, Pulp and Scott Walker very much to the fore. Reference was also made to the involvement of Rob Jones from Idlewild on the production and management side of things, but I really felt, based on that performance in Paisley, that Hamish Hawk wasn’t for me.
At the end of last year, SWC over at No Badger Required selected a new Hamish Hawk song as one of his favourites of 2022. SWC is someone whose taste in new music is usually bang-on, so I gave it a listen:-
Yup. This ticked a lot of boxes. Maybe I had been a bit hasty….this was quite different from what I’d been exposed to some 14 months previously in Paisley.
The new album, Angel Numbers, was released in February 2023. Once again, there were loads of very positive reviews kicking around various Scottish-based websites and publications, but I still didn’t bite.
My ‘Road To Damascus’ conversion came about in a slightly strange but ultimately very rewarding way. A short-break to Berlin was on the agenda in mid-October for myself and Rachel, and I had a look to see if there were any gigs worth seeing while we were there. It turned out that Hamish Hawk would be in the city on our first night, at a small venue not far from our hotel. Given that he’s on his way to likely selling-out Glasgow Barrowlands early next year, we decided it would be worth taking in the Berlin show.
I went out and bought a copy of Angel Numbers, determined to listen without prejudice.
I’m so glad I did, as It’s a truly outstanding record from start to end. I already knew Think Of Us Kissing, which proved to be the most accessible and immediate of the tracks, but after just a couple of listens, in which I was able to fully appreciate how fabulous a wordsmith he is, I had to hold my hand up and admit that Hamish Hawk is quite a unique talent, and someone who is fully deserving of the plaudits and acclaim being heaped on him. Oh, and his band, all of whom are credited as writing the music, provide the perfect accompaniment to his prose and poetry.
mp3: Hamish Hawk – Elvis Look-alike Shadows
This led to me going out to find a copy of Heavy Elevator. It’s an equally enjoyable listen, and while I recognised a few tunes from that Paisley show of October 2021, they sounded so much better when delivered by a full band.
The former has become a huge favourite. Watch out for it, and a few others, appearing on some of the hour-long mixes that pop-up round here on the odd occasion.
Oh, and I should, for the sake of completeness, say that the show in Berlin was a delight. I picked up an as yet unreleased 12″ EP of four cover songs that have previously been available on Bandcamp, and had a brief chat with Hamish post-gig in which I told him that I’d been a late convert and why.
He wasn’t the least bit offended by what I was saying, and indeed he offered a bit of moral support by saying he remembered the gig in question, and he felt afterwards that he hadn’t fully clicked with the audience. He signed the EP with a very lovely message, and I promised him that both myself and Rachel would make it to the Barrowlands next year. It should be quite the show.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Thanks JC for yet another great, until just now, unheard artist over here. The videos, and the way the lyrics are written, gives me a Lloyd Cole-feeling. Not so much musically but the feeling, the slightly awkward persona in the vid’s and the witty lyrics.
I’ve read a good deal about Hamish Hawk but never felt the need to hit ‘play’. I’ve been missing out. There’s vocal phrasing not dissimilar to The Hardy Boys – always a good thing. The other comparisons hit the spot – especially The Divine Comedy. I’m also reminded of My Life story. For all I’ve read no-one mentioned the humour. I’d expected po-faced navel gazing. Nope. Both videos are funny but Calls to Tiree is very funny indeed. Those moves!
Flimflamfan
I’m glad to hear you’ve seen the light, JC. Having said that, I struggled a little with Angel Numbers… probably too high expectations after the way I adored his previous record. It grew on me and it’ll definitely be in my year end countdown, but it didn’t have quite the same effect as its predecessor.
Sounds like a decent bloke too, from your conversation with him. I will continue to follow his career with interest.
Thanks for the lead. I’ve been listening to Angel Numbers on repeat all day and it keeps getting better. Just the unexpected surprise I needed today.
I’ve actually seen HH three times – twice solo (supporting Emma P and the Strap) and once with a band (supporting St Jude’s Infirmary) but it was really only hearing Heavy Elevator that things properly clicked. I’d only heard the singles when we saw him in Paisley but ‘MDBC’ was the stand-out for me that night (and possibly still is). We have tickets for the Barras as well since when he last played Dundee he sold the not small venue out! Looking forward to it.