CLUTCH

This is easily of Peter Hammill's better recent records. It's all acoustic, with some help from Stuart Gordon (violin) and David Jackson on sax. Hammill has certainly not mellowed, which is a good thing, as he turns his venom on a number of topical issues here. The album starts on a typically philosophical note with "We Are Written", which seems to be about predestination, genetic or otherwise, but Hammill also delves into some uncomfortable territory on "Just a Child" (pedophilia) and "Skinny" (body image/anorexia). Hammill is never afraid to tell it like it is, and these songs burn with righteous anger, a very refreshing change from singer/songwriter platitudes and whinging. His vocals have rarely sounded this good, from a gentle croon to a vicious scream, and he has made judicious use of multi-tracking to create some great background vocal textures. His guitar playing on this album, usually his Achilles heel (or the closest he comes to having one), is authoritative. Hammill's continuing lyrical genius is a great inspiration to those looking for uncompromising truth and beauty in music. This is one of his best.