Kenotic

• Artist: Hammock
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 29, 2005
• Genre: Rock

Review

Hammock's debut, Kenotic, is in every way a contender for classic status in the shoegazing genre. Expertly merging ambient guitar drone (think Bowery Electric), electronic beats (think Boards of Canada), and live instrumentation (the violin on "Blankets of Night"). Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson craft a 70-minute sound sculpture, a paean to the beauty inherent in the drone. By turns smooth and expansive, then chiming and circular, Kenotic has excellent sequencing, with moods of tension and relaxation blending together into a perfect evocation of an afternoon drifting in a vast ocean, looking skyward. The music flows in a manner evoking a slow-moving river on a winter day. A notable exception to this is the uptempo (for Hammock) "Wish," falling at the mid-point of the album, which focuses your attention and re-energizes it. The album art and song titles, ("Overcast/Sorrow" "Stars in the Rearview Mirror." "The Silence"), along with the mood of the music suggest isolation in nature, but their message is not one of sadness, but of timeless, serene joy. The few people that will find this record will cherish it as something special, similar to One Mile North's Glass Wars. ~ James Mason, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Before the Celebration	Hammock	Hammock	(2:03)
The Air Between Us	Hammock	Hammock	(3:43)
Through a Glass Darkly	Hammock	Hammock	(5:19)
Blankets of Night	Hammock	Hammock	(7:59)
Winter Light	Hammock	Hammock	(4:12)
Miles to Go Before Sleep	Hammock	Hammock	(5:16)
Wish	Hammock	Hammock	(5:20)
Overcast/Sorrow	Hammock	Hammock	(3:58)
Glacial	Hammock	Hammock	(1:46)
Kenotic	Hammock	Hammock	(4:15)
Stars in the Rearview Mirror	Hammock	Hammock	(7:03)
You May Emerge from This More Dead Than Alive	Hammock	Hammock	(1:13)
What Heaven Allows	Hammock	Hammock	(4:23)
The Silence	Hammock	Hammock	(5:20)
Dawn Begins to Creep	Hammock	Hammock	(4:11)
Rising Tide	Hammock	Hammock	(4:03)

Credits

Steve Hindalong (Percussion), Steve Hindalong (Bells), Toney High (Tape Transfer), Matt Slocum (Cello), Skye McCaskey (Engineer), Skye McCaskey (Mixing), Skye McCaskey (Photography), Marc Byrd (Producer), Marc Byrd (Group Member), Thomas Petillo (Photography), Nathan Dantzler (Mastering), Christine Glass Byrd (Vocals), Christine Glass Byrd (Tambo Drums), Hammock (Main Performer), Hammock (Sounds), Andrew Thompson (Producer), Andrew Thompson (Engineer), Andrew Thompson (Art Direction), Andrew Thompson (Group Member)