Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson’s completely engrossing new disc that I highly recommend everyone to pick up and listen to. This music is best listened to through headphones, and you can honestly put on your headphones, recline back in a chair, turn up the volume and get carried away by the fluidity of the sounds and the stunning beauty of each track. Although Hammock has made straight ambient albums, on this outing they incorporated live drums and the outcome is perfect. This disc is available as a hard copy or a download, but I would recommend purchasing their North, West, East, South book package where you get the Chasing After Shadows digipak (six panel), an e.p. of four ambient tracks not released anywhere else, and a copy of photographer Thomas Petillo’s hardback, linen bound book that has 100 top quality pictures shot while he was on the road with the band between 2004 and 2009. The book and pictures are a great compliment to the music. This is a limited edition set, signed by the band and by photographer Petillo. In addition, this disc has Tim Powles from The Church playing drums on one track as well as handling some mixing duties. Steve Hindalong can be found on numerous tracks playing drums and percussion as well as handling some production duties. Derri Daugherty handled some recording and mixing as well, while Marc’s wife Christine Glass Byrd can also be found contributing her angelic vocals on several songs. This disc is unique and beautiful, the addition of the live drums, the strings and Matt Slocum playing the cello really put this group at the front of the pack for ambient music in its different forms and in its layered, pristine shine of clarity. This is a must have!
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