EVERYONE YOU HOLD

This one was a real positive surprise after rather boring Hammill albums. With the news of even a new VDGG release in mind I believe here starts a fine strong Hammill period which I'm willing to hear more of. This is mostly calm and peaceful work (notice there's no drummer), but not in that too-clean, lighthearted way of X My Heart. This is calm in a very atmospheric way - and to me the color of this music is black or dark-blue like a night sky. Slow songs such as 'Nothing Comes' and 'Falling Open' take me deep into emotions and inner pictures, and I love the sound that has a lot of open space without being hollow. Thanks to melancholic tone it's not TOO calm album. 'Bubble' (that is going to burst) has that psychological tension you find only in Hammill's music. Only couple of less interesting songs take my fifth star. One of my favourite PH albums definitely. And that is quite a lot to say.