It's like the Fugees and Odd Future fucked then that lovechild met a Roland synth. Through Split Prophets I heard Hawk House's Chill Pill. Then I saw them on MTV Base, I think it was. Proud I knew who they were. The first time I heard them I could tell there was something about them, so I kept the tab saved. Out about a month ago, it is a fairly recent release, and the Soundcloud page tells that they uploaded the album a mere 16 days ago (as of now). So for an album that has been out for (around) three weeks, by a band relatively unheard of (in my case anyway), seeing them on TV was a nice spot. I digress.
I listened to this album once, so all of these points are first impressions. Of course, the more familiar the album becomes, the more we recognize when we listen. How and ever. An ambient release, the drums and bass in communion with the synths keep the album flowing. It's a real bob-your-head-and-chill album. Just sitting here, you can't help but swing back and forth.
Grey Matter, the intro, starts off Pink Floyd-esque. With random talking and more ambiance than John Cage, it is an existentially fabulous introduction to the album. The narrator, who features throughout the release, talks about hangovers and the brain and such. As it continues, he gets angry at people poking the brain, and his leads into the second (or first, depending on how you look at it) song, after a bit of a jazzy part.
Topic One, My Mind Is The Weapon, has a very ambient intro, ambiance being the key. With mellow synths and bells flowing around the listener, it is quite hard to refrain from bouncing along. There's a fuzziness on the reverb of the drums, making them interesting, and the excellent flow of the lyrics is illustrated here. The filtered bells sound almost randomly hit; sort of off-beat here, sort of mechanical there. Instead of annoyingly drawing you away from the beat, which can happen with off-beat examples, they just oscillate around song, which is a recurring feature later on. The drums themselves are pretty basic, but the side-panned hats are of a different breed. Following suit with the bells, they are almost random too. The flow of the words just fall from the speakers, and all these components together just meld to create a song that goes absolutely nowhere, but is in no hurry at all to get there.
Topic Two, Grow, is laid back again. A common feature among the songs, the fade in of the synth into a chorus of chords is doubled with the breathy vocals. The bare minimal of the drums creates a very wide sonic space, then the full drum kit appears, with lots of hats here and there. With the relaxed beat and even more relaxed lyricists, the influence of the Fugees comes to mind. I won't debate for or against, but hey, can you not see it? With the almost lackadaisical synth flowing out of the speakers, it's hard to notice how much is going on behind the main components. In the speakers there are numerous aspects panned to the sides, or in behind the synth and drums, that you really have to listen to in order to hear them. The production is incredible. Fact.
Topic Three: Vulcan Grip, notable that this song has a lot more listens on Souncloud than the others. Excluding maybe Chill Pill, it looks like one of the more popular ones. Considerable is that it is certainly more individual from the others in the sense that it's a lot more upbeat. With fast lyrics and lots of odd panning ideas going round, the drums are very bare. No riding out of the snare or hats make the song sound very sharp, very abrupt. I have no idea what they're on about, on any track for that matter, but I feel it, bro. For the listener, it is very spatial. Production, again.
Interlude One, Her Anatomy, is more than a simple interlude. The synth intro sounds almost like rain until it fades in fully, and is an awful lot more experimental than the others. The vocals are unique in that they run through a vocoder which only pops its head up every so often. Makes its a strange mix. Showcases the diversity in their music.
The whole 'body' thang continues after that brief interruption of sorts, with Topic Four, The Nervous System. There's a grinding intro, and the space in the speakers just keeps getting vaster. It's like sitting in a spinny chair in Glendalough valley. Kind of. With a little bit of vocals off key, and the odd laser here and there, the flow makes you feel like your neck is being controlled by someone else who keeps pushing it back and forth. Take notice of the internet modem sample. Never have I heard better use made of that weird ass sound, and it fits so well. Not sure how they achieved this, but achievement was made.
Leading slowly but surely into Experiment One, the title track A Handshake For Your Brain is a lovely old tune. Swirly drums in the background of the speakers; vinyl distortion; rolling synth lines; everything combines to add not just to the track, but the album as a whole. It's almost progressive, as there's new features frequently.
Running into Interlude Two, Slow Down, it's fair to say that slowing down is not really too much of an option. Any slower and it would be sludge-hop, the worst of the hops. A few synth lines, leading into chords, a few faded cymbals, it leads perfectly into the best song (personally) of the album.
Experiment Two, Chill Pill, is the track I was most acquainted with in my travels through the musical universe. By chance, and pure chance, I saw it on MTV. Proud I was in the fact that I recognized them, but I digress, again. The video itself is fascinating, with a camera moving in and out repeatedly. As for the song, the bass runs through an off-timing LFO, creating this flowing aspect individual in itself from the rest of the beat. The synth is a lot louder compared to other songs, meaning the vocals are somewhat compromised volume-wise. This isn't necessarily a negative component though. With a synth line in the background barely audible, the interplay of each fundamental is unbelievable. The flow is at a climax here, and you can just feel yourself pulsing along with the beat. Incredible isn't the word. It is a fine (almost) ending to the album, and well worth watching the video (link below) to see how it all plays out.
And with that, the 33 minutes come to an end with the Outro; Lights Off. With a really long fade in, and very melodic vocals with pitching up and down, it is a super relaxed ending. The drums sound off beat this time, almost weary. The song lets you down easy after an experiential journey, and the vocals combine to reach a loud climax point, then stop, leaving you breathing heavy. Epic.
All in all, it is a wonderful album, and I strongly recommend giving a listen. The lyrical content is very phonetic, and I've very little knowledge of what the lyrics were about. But in true hip-hop nature, they complemented the songs as a whole. Phoneticism is key, but the diversity of the lyrics throughout the album is incredible. This album never lets up, and this album is downright fuckin' incredible.
Averagity rating: Above average. Far above average. Strides and strides ahead.
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkhouseofficial
Chill Pill vid:
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