Search - Peter Hammill :: X My Heart

Beautiful and Uncompromising

03/07/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

""X My Heart" is a more conventional, song-based album than its fantastic predecessor, "The Roaring Forties" which was more compositional and experimental (progressive?). This album, however, like the majority of Hammill's albums, remains uncompromising and is an exciting listen.The songs are varied. "A Better Time" appears twice, in acapella and in orchestrated forms. This along with "Earthbound" are the highlights of the album. "Material Possession" has a strong celtic flavour. "Ram Origami" and "A Forest of Pronouns" are more experimental in the use of that great big, flexible voice.Lyrically, much of the album deals with coming to terms with your past in order to deal with the "now" and look to the future. For most Hammill fans, this may not appear to be new stuff, however it is dealt with very eloquently and I get the impression that alot of it is somewhat autobiographical ("Amnesiac" and "Come Clean" in particular)."I'll never find a better time to be alive than now". And, whoever called Hammill the "Master of Melancholy", anyway? Sounds kinda positive to me."