Fans of his ferocious guitar playing, imaginative lyrics and ability to create a cacophony of sounds with apparent ease will be delighted to hear that Brad Hammonds’ new incarnation, Shoulders of Giants, maintains all the elements that made his first solo album such a success. In a move that re-enforces his ability to combine meaningful words with uplifting sounds Hammonds has recruited the voice of New York based guitarist and vocalist Tom Crowley, an addition that gives depth to the music as well as perspective to the lyrics. Opening with “Code of a Mad Man”, a two minute masterpiece which not only introduces the listener to the haunting vocals of Crowley and how they gel with the riveting guitar of Hammonds, it also sets the stage for the hypnotic and rhythmic performance that is to follow. The delightfully chipper “I Feel awake Whilst Dreaming” shows off the majestical chemistry between the two as the guitars work in tandem seamlessly. The darker side of Hammonds as a song writer is never far away and this is evident in “Fade Away” with lines such as, “What doesn’t kill us makes us weaker, so we won’t choose”. The catchy, ballad like, “She’s in Love”, is the album’s crown jewel and is just made for listening to whilst cruising down an open road on a summer evening. With bitter-sweet lyrics of loving and losing Crowley has the perfect opportunity to show off his vocal talents and prove just why he was the man for this job, a chance which he does not let pass him by. The guitar harmony is backed up by a supporting cast of Dave Wilkie on drums and Marika Hughes playing Cello along with a bass duo of Ben Bell and Jason DiMatteo, whose use of both electric and upright between them offers yet more versatility. This release manages to strip music back to the bare bones whilst still managing to create a myriad of melodies, rhythm, harmony and feeling, using the key ingredients of strings, percussion and most importantly good old fashioned talent. Shoulders of Giants is a project of progression rather than a complete transformation, something which we should be glad, because as the saying goes, if it aint broke, don’t fix it.
Shoulders of Giants - Shoulders of Giants
Fans of his ferocious guitar playing, imaginative lyrics and ability to create a cacophony of sounds with apparent ease will be delighted to hear that Brad Hammonds’ new incarnation, Shoulders of Giants, maintains all the elements that made his first solo album such a success. In a move that re-enforces his ability to combine meaningful words with uplifting sounds Hammonds has recruited the voice of New York based guitarist and vocalist Tom Crowley, an addition that gives depth to the music as well as perspective to the lyrics. Opening with “Code of a Mad Man”, a two minute masterpiece which not only introduces the listener to the haunting vocals of Crowley and how they gel with the riveting guitar of Hammonds, it also sets the stage for the hypnotic and rhythmic performance that is to follow. The delightfully chipper “I Feel awake Whilst Dreaming” shows off the majestical chemistry between the two as the guitars work in tandem seamlessly. The darker side of Hammonds as a song writer is never far away and this is evident in “Fade Away” with lines such as, “What doesn’t kill us makes us weaker, so we won’t choose”. The catchy, ballad like, “She’s in Love”, is the album’s crown jewel and is just made for listening to whilst cruising down an open road on a summer evening. With bitter-sweet lyrics of loving and losing Crowley has the perfect opportunity to show off his vocal talents and prove just why he was the man for this job, a chance which he does not let pass him by. The guitar harmony is backed up by a supporting cast of Dave Wilkie on drums and Marika Hughes playing Cello along with a bass duo of Ben Bell and Jason DiMatteo, whose use of both electric and upright between them offers yet more versatility. This release manages to strip music back to the bare bones whilst still managing to create a myriad of melodies, rhythm, harmony and feeling, using the key ingredients of strings, percussion and most importantly good old fashioned talent. Shoulders of Giants is a project of progression rather than a complete transformation, something which we should be glad, because as the saying goes, if it aint broke, don’t fix it.
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