Reviews
A Hawk and A Hacksaw
The Way the Wind Blows
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Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2007-01-08
I am officially having a serious panic attack, as I am at a loss for words. Well, almost.
I guess I won’t beat around the bush here, so I’ll just have to say it. A Hawk and A Hacksaw’s The Way the Wind Blows was not my cup of tea, and that’s putting it very nicely. Seeing how the positives that I have to state are part of a much shorter list, we’ll have to start with those.
I very much enjoyed the use of trumpet throughout the album, courtesy of 19-year-old Zach Condon. If it weren’t for my young and impressionable self, I definitely would have picked the trumpet as my instrument of choice in grade seven as I embarked on my long journey of band geekiness, instead of letting my mom’s dreams of me being a flute player come true. Yes, love the trumpet.
Anyway, back to this before I start recounting any more stories of band and band camp (yes, I went to band camp). I also enjoyed the accordion on the disc, not only because it’s no longer an instrument you see and hear everyday, but it also brought back memories of my grandpa, who used to be an accordion player. A majority of the album actually took me back in time to my Polish roots and made me think of crazy old-school Polish functions I attended as a little tyke in Poland.
On a more general and neutral note (before I start my negative ranting), I do indeed love Jeremy Barnes’ wish of “May you live every day of your life.” I think this man and his partner in crime, violin player Heather Trost, have great messages to throw out into the world, and I think it would be clear to anyone who’s heard this record that they have much passion for what they do.
Sadly, this is probably where the goodness ends for me. I definitely had myself a good nervous laugh when I initially heard this album, since I didn’t really know what else to do. I just wasn’t sure how to take a lot of this record, as it didn’t and continues to not jive in my world. For reasons beyond my control, I did not enjoy the experience of listening to The Way the Wind Blows. Really, I just wanted the wind to blow it away, far away.
I felt that a majority of the album was trying to cram too much into too little space, as it felt frantic and somewhat chaotic. I didn’t feel at peace listening to this music, and seeing how I seek some sort of tranquility and room for thought within a lot of the music that I choose to listen to, this was not fitting the bill -- or any bill, for that matter. Even though I consider myself to be random within my musical taste and open to new ideas and sounds, this record did not seem to make enough of a good impression to burrow its way into any of my array of tastes. A lot of what I heard left me feeling suffocated and overwhelmed, as if I were a character in a silent film that was permanently played and forgotten on fast forward.
As much as I can appreciate certain parts and moments of this record, and hold high the duo’s (and guests’) musical capabilities, the general vibe of the record was not in sync with the world of Aldona. We did not mesh well, and will not be chilling out together like two peas in a pod.
The good news is that although I’m not a fan, much goodness has been said about this record and it’s very likely that you might completely disagree with all that I have to say about A Hawk and A Hacksaw. These guys have a cool story to them, so check them out if for nothing more than for tales of Romanian villages and careers as postmen.
Score: 3
- Aldona