BLEEDING

The eclectic nature of some music can certainly be a turn-off for some people. Others, however, revel in that sort of thing. I believe multi-instrumentalist Hamlet Transportinae of the progressive project Transport Aerian to be the latter. "Bleeding" isn't Hamlet's first foray into music, and I'm sure it won't be his last. However, it is certainly my introduction to his attempts at creating new and original music, and I believe he succeeds. I also believe everyone needs to give his music a chance.

Yes, Transport Aerian is quite unique. You will find all sorts of styles therein, from strong riffing to ambient to experimental. You will find really odd time signatures that take time for your brain to unravel (especially on "Inspire"), but you will also find incredibly catchy portions, too. You will hear synthy goodness, but also very raw passages. Lastly, you will hear Hamlet himself, and his admittedly odd vocal style. His accent is somewhat thick, though that never bothers me. He just has a way of putting together vocal lines that somehow fit the melody, but you can never be sure how.

Hamlet seems very passionate about his music. It is music created without any inhibitions concerning others' opinions. He does whatever he wants. And he does it well. One thing I've especially noticed is his deft hand at creating wonderful over-arching song structures, as can be seen on the pensive "Triangle Town" or on the climactic "Winter". Heck, he even throws in long dramatic silences on "Inspire". Yes, this is music with personality, something that is definitely missing from much music today. "Bleeding" is also about mood. You can feel the darkness. The emotion is palpable.

Hamlet also seems quite passionate about his topics of choice. I think it comes through in his really emotive style of singing, which his accent emphasizes even more. His themes of loneliness, fear of being forgotten, and passionate longing are truly felt by the listener. It takes skill and real emotion to portray this, and so I salute Hamlet for his maturity (as cheesy as that might sound).

I wasn't sure what I thought about this album, at first. Suddenly, one day the music connected with my mind. It's genius stuff, really. Hamlet's Transport Aerian needs more exposure, and I really hope he gets it. Though, I'm not sure if he really wants that.