HamsandwicH - Stories From The Surface

For much of the time since their formation in 2003 HamsandwicH drew as much attention for their name as for their music. They got some stick for it initially but like all the best band names it is instantly memorable. With the success of this album they have become a household name in Ireland. Stories From The Surface went straight to number one and the band have already released three singles from it.

HamsandwicH absolutely refuse to repeat themselves. Their debut album, 2008’s Carry The Meek, was raw but tracks like ‘Click Click Boom’ showed potential. 2010’s White Fox was their great leap forward. The production, the music, and the songwriting were of the highest order. The previously contrasting styles of Podge McNamee’s rich baritone and the, strong yet delicate, gossamer tones of Niamh Farrell were now married together in the manner of REM’s Mike Mills and Michael Stipe. White Fox spawned five singles over a two-year period and is widely regarded as one of the truly great Irish albums.

Staunchly independent and individual, they’ve done it all on their own terms. Stories From The Surface is released on their own 109a label, named after the bus from their base in Kells to Dublin. For a band whose tunes are so melodic and refined, their live shows are famously flamboyant and anarchic. They sell out multiple nights in Dublin’s theatres, and supported Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons when they brought their respective tours to Ireland.

Stories From The Surface was initially launched in Ireland last year. It’s been a long wait since White Fox but this sounds every bit like an album that took five years to write and record. It’s a more mature, rounded album. Farrell’s singing has become the main focus, altering the dynamic of their sound, with more emphasis on the pop production aspect. Opening track ‘Hold Me Up’ is a dead ringer for Canadian band Metric, with Farrell in the Emily Haines role. On ‘Apollo’, the rhythm section that previously sat in the background has been pushed forward in the mix and now swings and grooves, as the guitars produce a flowing, organic simulation of electronica alongside the more traditional fare.

‘Square’ straddles the divide between their straight up indie tunes and the new direction. It starts off like a White Fox-era song but gradually adds a dash of funk to the mix. Lead single, ‘Illuminate’ opens with a hooky guitar emulating birdsong. The bigger budget production is employed to its fullest as hook after hook is thrown out before the massive chorus, where McNamee and Farrell soar for the sun.

In the five years since their last album, HamsandwicH have evidently been watching Arcade Fire, Tieranniesaur and Little x’s For Eyes and have integrated those bands’ indie funk into their own music. Nowhere is this more evident than on ‘Fandango’ with its insistent beat and a glockenspiel accentuating the lead guitar line.

Stories From The Surface is a record of two halves, the second is more downbeat and introverted. The personal, singer-songwriter style tunes are a real comedown after the invigorating first side but ‘Satellite’ picks things up with a sublime oriental scale piano hook. ‘All Worthwhile’ finishes the album in an atypical manner. It is out of keeping with the rest of the album but well worth inclusion. McNamee takes the lead vocal on an acoustic guitar accompanied by some spare backing bass and percussion. It’s like a mash up of Death Cab For Cutie and The Moldy Peaches, with Farrell as Kimya Dawson adding wordless melodies.

Following up a once-in-a-career album like White Fox was always going to be tricky but HamsandwicH have boxed clever by not trying to match it. They’ve already done the perfect guitar-lead indie album, why would they even bother trying to do another one? Instead they have changed the tone and emphasis of the new songs while maintaining their signature sound. A-One, Sharon!

Stories From The Surface is available from amazon.