| A Firmer Hand | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 August 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2023 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Label |
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| Producer | ||||
| Hamish Hawk chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A Firmer Hand | ||||
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A Firmer Hand is the upcoming third studio album by Scottish musician Hamish Hawk, to be released on 16 August 2024 by Fierce Panda and So Recordings. The album was written by Hawk and guitarist Andrew Pearson in 2022–2023. It was produced in Edinburgh by frequent collaborator and manager Rod Jones. The album artwork features a black and white portrait of the singer with his face half obscured by a black shadow. Its title refers to a line from the song "Big Cat Tattoos" and highlights the defiant nature of the record.
A Firmer Hand deviates thematically from Hawk's previous output and deals with darker subjects relating to sexuality. Its lyrical content focuses on Hawk's relationships with men: friends, lovers, family and colleagues. Previous to its release, the album is being promoted by the singles "Big Cat Tattoos", "Nancy Dearest" and "Men Like Wire".
Hawk's second studio album Angel Numbers was released in February 2023 to critical acclaim, and further established Hawk and his band on the indie scene. [1] Hawk wrote "Questionable Hit" while recording Angel Numbers, but felt the song "didn't fit" on that record, as it was very different thematically. [2] By the time the previous album was released Hawk said they had "the bulk of a new album written", and that it would be recorded at some point that year. [3]
Once again he joined forces with frequent collaborator Rod Jones, and the sessions took place at Post Electric Studio in Leith, Edinburgh. [4]
A Firmer Hand has been characterised as sophisti-pop and indie rock. [5] The album has been compared to the works of Morrissey, Neil Hannon and Stephin Merritt. [5] Hawk has mentioned some of the songs on the album reminded him of bands such as Pet Shop Boys, Culture Club, Bronski Beat and Soft Cell. He said, "what I find exciting and inspiring about bands like the Pet Shop Boys is that they are openly gay without sanitizing it. Especially in the wake of something like the AIDS crisis". [2]
"I would say the romance has fallen away to a degree. It is still there, but it’s been replaced in part with a slightly more erotic heart, a lustful side, a desiring side, [...] Whether they’re long-term relationships, flirtations, or one-night stands, this album deals more with a masculine currency and energy".
—Hamish Hawk [2]
A Firmer Hand is an album centered on Hawk's relationships with the men in his life including friends, lovers, family and colleagues. [6] It has been described as a "rich anthology of diary entries, homoerotic encounters, vainglorious men and unreliable narrators", [5] as well as, approaching "the haunted psychosexual drama of Pulp's This Is Hardcore" (1998). [7] Male sexuality became the album's focus through writing the tracks "Machiavelli's Room", "Milk an Ending" and "Juliet as Epithet". [6] Hawk noted that after he had written those songs, the album was going to be "less embellished, less florid in its language", he also noted a "maturation" compared to his previous records, and a "growing unwillingness to compromise" with his audience. [2] He pointed out that the link between all the songs is a "sense of the unsaid". [6]
The album's artwork features a black and white portrait of Hawk with his face half obscured by a black shadow. On the artwork, Hawk stated "sometimes you get the sense that certain albums have certain color palettes. [...] I do think even with the artwork and the songs, it’s a dark record". [2]
The album's title is in reference to a line from the album's first single, "Big Cat Tattoos". It highlights the defiant nature of the record, and is a rejection of concerns over the audience response to the album's subject matter: "I’ve pushed through that because I am, as I say, a people pleaser. I thought I’d try and take up less space, and now I’m not doing that quite as much", Hawk said. [2]
The release of A Firmer Hand was first announced on 29 April 2024. [8] That same day several tour dates were announced, taking place through May until August, including in-store gigs to promote the record. [9] Before the album was announced Hawk had already premiered a few songs from A Fimer Hand live in 2023, including "Big Cat Tattoos" [10] [2] and "You Can Film Me", which was first performed just a week after Angel Numbers was released. [11] [12] On August 7, Hawk will perform a live set hosted by Vic Galloway, for BBC Radio Scotland, at the Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. [13]
The album's lead single "Big Cat Tattoos" premiered on Steve Lamacq's BBC Radio 6 Music show, on 29 April 2024. [14] The next day an accompanying music video was released, directed and edited by guitarist Andrew Pearson. The video was recorded at Freakworks in Leith, and features Hawk in a film studio, with five faceless men dressed in black suits standing in it, while Hawk dances around. [15]
In June, the second single, "Nancy Dearest" was released alongside a music video, also directed and edited by Pearson. [16] Shot between Freakworks and Nobles Bar, it seems to serve as a prequel to the previous single video. In it, the faceless men in suits appear at a bar, and the "Big Cat Tattoos" set is featured again. [17]
In July, the third single, "Men Like Wire" premiered on Steve Lamacq's BBC Radio 6 Music show. [18] That same day a music video, once again directed and edited by Pearson, was released on Hawk's Youtube channel. [19] Like the preceding videos, it was shot at Freakworks in Leith, and featured Hawk wearing the same outfit, surrounded by the faceless men in suits. [20]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Mojo |  
[7] |
| Uncut | 6/10 [5] |
Roy Wilkinson of Mojo said "the huge exhilaration of Hawk’s previous two albums has largely been replaced by more troubled moods", and noted A Firmer Hand had more stylistic variety, while maintaining Hawk's skilled lyricism. [7] Stephen Dalton of Uncut was not as complimentary and described the instrumentation and lyrics as "overwrought" and "slightly too pleased with themselves", respectively. Nevertheless, Dalton thought the album themes were, "tastefully upholstered in robust analogue indie-rock" and praised Hawk's vocal performance in the tracks "Big Cat Tattoos" and "Questionable Hit". [5]
All lyrics are written by Hamish Hawk; all music is composed by Hawk, Andrew Pearson, Stefan Maurice and Alex Duthie [21]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Juliet as Epithet" | |
| 2. | "Machiavelli's Room" | |
| 3. | "Big Cat Tattoos" | 3:11 |
| 4. | "Nancy Dearest" | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Autobiography of Spy" | |
| 6. | "You Can Film Me" | |
| 7. | "Christopher St." | |
| 8. | "Men Like Wire" | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Questionable Hit" | |
| 10. | "Disingenuous" | |
| 11. | "Milk an Ending" | |
| 12. | "The Hard Won" |
- ^ Wilde, Jamie (3 February 2023). "In Conversation: Hamish Hawk". Clash. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Alley, George (17 July 2024). "Hamish Hawk: "Writing This Record I Opened My Closet and a Skeketon Came Out"". Loverboy Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Preece, Tom (6 February 2023). "The Debrief: Hamish Hawk". Yuck Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Wescott, Andrew (30 April 2024). "Hamish Hawk announces new "coming of age" album, 'A Firmer Hand'". Dork. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Dalton, Stephen (September 2024). "Hamish Hawk - A Firmer Hand". Uncut. No. 329. London. p. 33.
- ^ a b c "Hamish Hawk Shares New Single "Nancy Dearest"". Prescription PR. 13 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Wilkinson, Roy (September 2024). "Hamish Hawk - A Firmer Hand". Mojo. No. 370. London. p. 86.
- ^ Murray, Robin (30 April 2024). "Hamish Hawk Announces New Album 'A Firmer Hand'". Clash. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Redfern, Mark (2 May 2024). "Hamish Hawk Announces New Album, Shares Video for New Song "Big Cat Tattoos"". Under The Radar. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Broom, Chris (21 August 2023). "Review | Hamish Hawk at The Wedgewood Rooms: "A knowing playfulness"". The News. Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Robbins, Andy (12 February 2024). "Hamish Hawk @ Komedia, Brighton, UK, 6th February, 2023". Under The Radar. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Sheperd, Fiona (17 February 2023). "Music review: Hamish Hawk, St Luke's. Glasgow". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Vic, Galloway (9 July 2024). "Vic Galloway: Shows and tours". BBC Radio Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ Steve Lamacq (29 April 2024). "Frank Turner in Session and Orlando Weeks Exclusive". BBC Radio 6 Music. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Pearson, Andrew (Director) (30 April 2024). Hamish Hawk - Big Cat Tattoos (Official Video) (Music Video). Hamish Hawk. Retrieved 17 June 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (13 June 2024). "Hamish Hawk Shares Video for New Song 'Nancy Dearest'". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Pearson, Andrew (Director) (13 June 2024). Hamish Hawk - Nancy Dearest (Official Video) (Music Video). Hamish Hawk. Retrieved 17 June 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Steve Lamacq (8 July 2024). "Jo Whiley joins Steve to talk about The Rise and Fall of Oasis". BBC Radio 6 Music. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Murray, Robin (8 July 2024). "Hamish Hawk Shares New Single 'Men Like Wire'". Clash. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Pearson, Andrew (Director) (8 July 2024). Hamish Hawk - Men Like Wire (Official Video) (Music Video). Hamish Hawk. Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via YouTube.
-
^ A Firmer Hand (booklet).
Hamish Hawk. So Recordings. 2024. SOAKLPC511.
{{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) - ^ "A Firmer Hand - Album by Hamish Hawk - Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
| A Firmer Hand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 August 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2023 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | ||||
| Hamish Hawk chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from A Firmer Hand | ||||
| ||||
A Firmer Hand is the upcoming third studio album by Scottish musician Hamish Hawk, to be released on 16 August 2024 by Fierce Panda and So Recordings. The album was written by Hawk and guitarist Andrew Pearson in 2022–2023. It was produced in Edinburgh by frequent collaborator and manager Rod Jones. The album artwork features a black and white portrait of the singer with his face half obscured by a black shadow. Its title refers to a line from the song "Big Cat Tattoos" and highlights the defiant nature of the record.
A Firmer Hand deviates thematically from Hawk's previous output and deals with darker subjects relating to sexuality. Its lyrical content focuses on Hawk's relationships with men: friends, lovers, family and colleagues. Previous to its release, the album is being promoted by the singles "Big Cat Tattoos", "Nancy Dearest" and "Men Like Wire".
Hawk's second studio album Angel Numbers was released in February 2023 to critical acclaim, and further established Hawk and his band on the indie scene. [1] Hawk wrote "Questionable Hit" while recording Angel Numbers, but felt the song "didn't fit" on that record, as it was very different thematically. [2] By the time the previous album was released Hawk said they had "the bulk of a new album written", and that it would be recorded at some point that year. [3]
Once again he joined forces with frequent collaborator Rod Jones, and the sessions took place at Post Electric Studio in Leith, Edinburgh. [4]
A Firmer Hand has been characterised as sophisti-pop and indie rock. [5] The album has been compared to the works of Morrissey, Neil Hannon and Stephin Merritt. [5] Hawk has mentioned some of the songs on the album reminded him of bands such as Pet Shop Boys, Culture Club, Bronski Beat and Soft Cell. He said, "what I find exciting and inspiring about bands like the Pet Shop Boys is that they are openly gay without sanitizing it. Especially in the wake of something like the AIDS crisis". [2]
"I would say the romance has fallen away to a degree. It is still there, but it’s been replaced in part with a slightly more erotic heart, a lustful side, a desiring side, [...] Whether they’re long-term relationships, flirtations, or one-night stands, this album deals more with a masculine currency and energy".
—Hamish Hawk [2]
A Firmer Hand is an album centered on Hawk's relationships with the men in his life including friends, lovers, family and colleagues. [6] It has been described as a "rich anthology of diary entries, homoerotic encounters, vainglorious men and unreliable narrators", [5] as well as, approaching "the haunted psychosexual drama of Pulp's This Is Hardcore" (1998). [7] Male sexuality became the album's focus through writing the tracks "Machiavelli's Room", "Milk an Ending" and "Juliet as Epithet". [6] Hawk noted that after he had written those songs, the album was going to be "less embellished, less florid in its language", he also noted a "maturation" compared to his previous records, and a "growing unwillingness to compromise" with his audience. [2] He pointed out that the link between all the songs is a "sense of the unsaid". [6]
The album's artwork features a black and white portrait of Hawk with his face half obscured by a black shadow. On the artwork, Hawk stated "sometimes you get the sense that certain albums have certain color palettes. [...] I do think even with the artwork and the songs, it’s a dark record". [2]
The album's title is in reference to a line from the album's first single, "Big Cat Tattoos". It highlights the defiant nature of the record, and is a rejection of concerns over the audience response to the album's subject matter: "I’ve pushed through that because I am, as I say, a people pleaser. I thought I’d try and take up less space, and now I’m not doing that quite as much", Hawk said. [2]
The release of A Firmer Hand was first announced on 29 April 2024. [8] That same day several tour dates were announced, taking place through May until August, including in-store gigs to promote the record. [9] Before the album was announced Hawk had already premiered a few songs from A Fimer Hand live in 2023, including "Big Cat Tattoos" [10] [2] and "You Can Film Me", which was first performed just a week after Angel Numbers was released. [11] [12] On August 7, Hawk will perform a live set hosted by Vic Galloway, for BBC Radio Scotland, at the Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. [13]
The album's lead single "Big Cat Tattoos" premiered on Steve Lamacq's BBC Radio 6 Music show, on 29 April 2024. [14] The next day an accompanying music video was released, directed and edited by guitarist Andrew Pearson. The video was recorded at Freakworks in Leith, and features Hawk in a film studio, with five faceless men dressed in black suits standing in it, while Hawk dances around. [15]
In June, the second single, "Nancy Dearest" was released alongside a music video, also directed and edited by Pearson. [16] Shot between Freakworks and Nobles Bar, it seems to serve as a prequel to the previous single video. In it, the faceless men in suits appear at a bar, and the "Big Cat Tattoos" set is featured again. [17]
In July, the third single, "Men Like Wire" premiered on Steve Lamacq's BBC Radio 6 Music show. [18] That same day a music video, once again directed and edited by Pearson, was released on Hawk's Youtube channel. [19] Like the preceding videos, it was shot at Freakworks in Leith, and featured Hawk wearing the same outfit, surrounded by the faceless men in suits. [20]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Mojo |
[7] |
| Uncut | 6/10 [5] |
Roy Wilkinson of Mojo said "the huge exhilaration of Hawk’s previous two albums has largely been replaced by more troubled moods", and noted A Firmer Hand had more stylistic variety, while maintaining Hawk's skilled lyricism. [7] Stephen Dalton of Uncut was not as complimentary and described the instrumentation and lyrics as "overwrought" and "slightly too pleased with themselves", respectively. Nevertheless, Dalton thought the album themes were, "tastefully upholstered in robust analogue indie-rock" and praised Hawk's vocal performance in the tracks "Big Cat Tattoos" and "Questionable Hit". [5]
All lyrics are written by Hamish Hawk; all music is composed by Hawk, Andrew Pearson, Stefan Maurice and Alex Duthie [21]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Juliet as Epithet" | |
| 2. | "Machiavelli's Room" | |
| 3. | "Big Cat Tattoos" | 3:11 |
| 4. | "Nancy Dearest" | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Autobiography of Spy" | |
| 6. | "You Can Film Me" | |
| 7. | "Christopher St." | |
| 8. | "Men Like Wire" | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Questionable Hit" | |
| 10. | "Disingenuous" | |
| 11. | "Milk an Ending" | |
| 12. | "The Hard Won" |
- ^ Wilde, Jamie (3 February 2023). "In Conversation: Hamish Hawk". Clash. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Alley, George (17 July 2024). "Hamish Hawk: "Writing This Record I Opened My Closet and a Skeketon Came Out"". Loverboy Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Preece, Tom (6 February 2023). "The Debrief: Hamish Hawk". Yuck Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Wescott, Andrew (30 April 2024). "Hamish Hawk announces new "coming of age" album, 'A Firmer Hand'". Dork. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Dalton, Stephen (September 2024). "Hamish Hawk - A Firmer Hand". Uncut. No. 329. London. p. 33.
- ^ a b c "Hamish Hawk Shares New Single "Nancy Dearest"". Prescription PR. 13 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Wilkinson, Roy (September 2024). "Hamish Hawk - A Firmer Hand". Mojo. No. 370. London. p. 86.
- ^ Murray, Robin (30 April 2024). "Hamish Hawk Announces New Album 'A Firmer Hand'". Clash. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Redfern, Mark (2 May 2024). "Hamish Hawk Announces New Album, Shares Video for New Song "Big Cat Tattoos"". Under The Radar. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Broom, Chris (21 August 2023). "Review | Hamish Hawk at The Wedgewood Rooms: "A knowing playfulness"". The News. Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Robbins, Andy (12 February 2024). "Hamish Hawk @ Komedia, Brighton, UK, 6th February, 2023". Under The Radar. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Sheperd, Fiona (17 February 2023). "Music review: Hamish Hawk, St Luke's. Glasgow". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Vic, Galloway (9 July 2024). "Vic Galloway: Shows and tours". BBC Radio Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ Steve Lamacq (29 April 2024). "Frank Turner in Session and Orlando Weeks Exclusive". BBC Radio 6 Music. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Pearson, Andrew (Director) (30 April 2024). Hamish Hawk - Big Cat Tattoos (Official Video) (Music Video). Hamish Hawk. Retrieved 17 June 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (13 June 2024). "Hamish Hawk Shares Video for New Song 'Nancy Dearest'". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Pearson, Andrew (Director) (13 June 2024). Hamish Hawk - Nancy Dearest (Official Video) (Music Video). Hamish Hawk. Retrieved 17 June 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Steve Lamacq (8 July 2024). "Jo Whiley joins Steve to talk about The Rise and Fall of Oasis". BBC Radio 6 Music. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Murray, Robin (8 July 2024). "Hamish Hawk Shares New Single 'Men Like Wire'". Clash. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Pearson, Andrew (Director) (8 July 2024). Hamish Hawk - Men Like Wire (Official Video) (Music Video). Hamish Hawk. Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via YouTube.
-
^ A Firmer Hand (booklet).
Hamish Hawk. So Recordings. 2024. SOAKLPC511.
{{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) - ^ "A Firmer Hand - Album by Hamish Hawk - Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 June 2024.