It will soon be three years since the release of Hamish Hawk’s ‘Heavy Elevator’, which means it’ll soon be three years since everything changed for the young songwriter from Edinburgh. Despite the flashes of brilliance that had peppered earlier releases, and while acknowledging the small but loyal fanbase they brought him, his first full length proper lifted him to fresh heights.
With heavy shades of the Smiths and an unfathomably entertaining sense of verbosity, his high glam indie-pop brought some much missed pompadour styling and theatrical flamboyance to a stagnant scene. That record’s follow up, 2023’s ‘Angel Numbers’ continued the winning formula, cementing his sound and allowing time for folks to catch up.
But while ‘A Firmer Hand’ doesn’t necessarily rewrite the rule book, it is a left-turn of sorts. Dialling back the anthemic grandeur of previous releases, it is an altogether more direct affair.
Hawk’s lyrics, for example, are delivered with a nakedness that displays his foibles while challenging us to address our own. This feels very much like a record written by a man about his relationships with other men, be they family, friends or lovers.
The doom-laden piano of Machiavelli’s Room hints at a relationship where all is not as it seems, while Big Cat Tattoos is a funky romp that points a scathing finger at a partner who just can’t be shaken off. The cast of characters we encounter encapsulates the best and worst of men, from toxic alpha males and those whose very existence seems dependent on tearing us down to sympathetic ears and role models.
Despite its live band feel, ‘A Firmer Hand’ is not without its fair share of big pop moments either, swelling from dance floor-ready hits that recall Robyn to the ballroom balladry of Orville Peck. The one-two punch of Men Like Wire and Questionable Hit will perhaps be the most satisfying moments for long time fans but Christopher St. will linger long in the memory, its unadorned beauty showcasing a new side to Hawk’s sound.
‘A Firmer Hand’ is a bold step from an artist who could have played it safe, offering an engrossing listen alongside a sense of abandon and a deep examination of the interdependent relationships that make up our lives.
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