DEPARTURE SONGS

Hammock's latest release is a massive double cd full of layered guitar harmonies, sweet&slow arpeggios and calm drumbeats. Almost two hours in length, it is hard to say anything fully comprehensive about Departure Songs. I still have very mixed feelings on the album, even after giving it time to grow and listening it through many times in multiple ways. It seems to be loosely themed (how much can you build a semantic theme in a mostly instrumental album, anyway?) around the last moments of life and the various ways in which death can take place. Some moments are breathtaking, like the awesome buildup in Ten Thousand Years Won't Save Your Life and the beautifully moving Frailty (For the Dearly Departed). Other times, especially on the second disc, I just completely lose attention as there's not much new or even interesting going on. Don't get me wrong, this is a fine effort, I just find it too long for it's genre and too bland in terms of variance for my taste. While not really groundbreaking structurally or melodically, Hammock succeeds in creating many very interesting soundscapes that leave the listener in a sense of wonder, a thing often found through their music. Check it out and decide for yourself, that's my advice.