Search - Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle :: H-Wing

A beginning, not the ending...

Shelley Mckibbon | Halifax, NS | 11/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You have to hand it to Kevin Hearn: faced with a potentially fatal illness, and in the midst of undergoing possibly the most dangerous, toxic therapy imaginable, he not only managed to survive, he did it with his humanity, his hope, and his sense of humour intact. "H-Wing" was written mostly while Hearn was in isolation, undergoing a stem cell transplant for leukemia. I cannot imagine what I'd be writing under those circumstances, but it probably wouldn't be gently humourous tunes about morphine dreams ("The Diving Board") and bonefights at the museum. I might wish I could write reflectively about my treatment, as Hearn does in "The Good One," but I don't think I'd pull it off. Lyrically, "H-Wing" runs the gamut from hope to fear to depression and back to hope again. There's a dreamy quality to a lot of the songs, something out of focus, so that a song like "The Blue Museum," which sounds like a reflection on a lost love, feels like something dreamed or remembered at a considerable distance. "Death Bed Love Letter" and "The Minnow Trap" are possibly the most intense songs on the album, though for different reasons. The first sounds as if it was written at or about a time when things were going badly and it seemed wise to let loved ones know how he felt while he still had time. Lines like "Will the soil know what to do with scraps of love unused?" and the gently repeated "You're the only one forever..." are wrenching enough, but coupled with the understated musical accompaniment they are extraordinarily moving. "The Minnow Trap" is filled with type of effects Hearn has used so well in other compositions, and the overall impression is downright sinister. It's a frightening song, and if you listen to the samples and effects it's even more ominous. At the other end of the scale are songs like "Spider Arm," a pretty tune about being outside with your loved one on a beautiful day. It's amazing how hard this song hits you when you hear it in combination with the rest of the album. A collection like this needs at least one "I'm here and I'm staying" manifesto, and "Mouth of the Shadow" serves that purpose. However, the song isn't about bravado. Hearn's light vocals don't lend themselves to Rambo-like statements and he's not that type of writer anyway. There are passages in this song when you can hear him breathe, as if he has to take a deep breath to encourage himself before he sings "I have decided to stay/ And take on the shadow that darkens the day..." This is the sound of someone being a lot braver and more determined than he may have thought he was capable of being. It's touching and a little humbling to listen to him. There's a lot of weather and water imagery, which makes sense considering how long he was isolated from the outside world. I can only imagine how you'd dream about feeling the breeze on your face or watching things grow. And by the end you're so involved with his story that a song like "Anna, Anastasia" which reflects, "It's come down to DNA... I want to believe you" makes you think about genetic matches and cell transplants and how badly he must have needed to believe the nearly impossible could happen. The last song, "A Beginning," is hopeful once again, using playful hockey and outdoor images ("The ice is fresh... we can see our breath") and a chiming "Ding dong ding" chorus of backing vocals that expresses the gentlest kind of triumph. They say you're truly born again after a stem cell transplant, and Hearn sounds determined to make the most of his second chance at life. Kevin Hearn has an interesting musical mind, and a beautifully sideways manner of expressing himself. "H-Wing" is a quiet, imaginative, and deeply moving reflection on fear, pain, hope, and love. You can't hear this album without hoping this man has many more years to enjoy his gently eccentric take on life and music, and to share it with the rest of us."

Out of Darkness, Light

Wildy Haskell | Ballston Spa, NY USA | 11/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kevin Hearn is a magician in musician's clothing. Who else could turn the dark experience of a brush with death into a disc full of light and insight? Kevin Hearn's H-Wing is a field trip into the mind of someone who has fought the ultimate in adversity, and won. From the opening strains of "The Good One", to the aptly titled closer, "A Beginning", Mr. Hearn displays the positive energy and will to live that beat back the likes of Leukemia. And along the way, the listener is treated to a diverse and exciting, yet subdued, aural landscape. Emloying former Look People band mates, Kevin Hearn has delivered an album full of songs that will not make significant impact on what passes for popular radio in this day and age, but that will make an impact on individual listeners for years to come. To quote from the album's final song, "This isn't a run through/This is not a test/This is...the best/This is a beginning/This is not the ending".One can only hope this is true."

"This Is the Best"

Robin Lowe | Houston, TX USA/Pittsburgh PA USA | 11/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album gets my vote for best album of the year, hands down. The sheer power and artistry coming out of your speakers will absolutely amaze you. Kevin Hearn has gathered a remarkable group of musicians (Derek Orford, Chris Gartner, Bob Scott, and Martin Tielli), and together they have created what can only be called a listening experience. To listen to the entire album in one sitting is emotionally overwhelming and incredibly uplifting, as well as remarkably entertaining. When you come right down to it, this CD is a good listen, no matter what mood you're in. I couldn't even begin to pick a favorite track. Personally, H-Wing helped me to get through a very difficult first week in college, and I'm incredibly grateful to Kevin and Thin Buckle for sharing their talents."