Jeremy Small-Hawks aka smallhawks, grew up in Cornell, New York, and now resides in Blacksburg, Virginia. On his latest record Under the Sun, Small-Hawks gives listeners a taste of his sound. Upon pressing play, I was met with the warm but sparse sound of the ukulele and percussion on “Carseat.” Once Small-Hawks’ vocals came in, I was immediately sold. Altogether, what Small-Hawks has here is a stripped set of acoustic songs that will definitely grow on you.
Under the Sun begins with “Carseat,” where atmospheric synths come in. Gradually, sounds of the ukulele embrace a warm vibe alongside some percussion. I greatly enjoyed Small-Hawks’ vocals which had a touch of indie to it. The vocal harmonies paired with the simply rendered but moving music made for a powerful punch. I loved how stripped-backed the vibes were here. More warm acoustic sounds come in on the start of “Morpheus.” Small-Hawks hums lowly in the background of this track while the acoustic guitar accompanies him. I was immediately getting some Sleep At Last vibes. I thought this track sounded a lot like a lullaby. There was something peaceful about this song. More ambient synths come in on “Ellie’s Song.” Small-Hawks’ vocals here sounded very airy. I was reminded of ‘80s music. This proved to be another quiet track from that artist. On “Hemlock,” some keys and synths light up the sounds. The mood was inviting. Next, some synthetic strings come in, highlighting more of the sounds. This proved to be a pure instrumental interlude. Alongside some mandolin, Small-Hawks’ quiet vocals comes into great effect on “Hazel (ft. Emmett Munterich).” I thought this was an emotional powerful song as the artist sings with feeling. The instrumentals were loose, making for an easy-going sound. To the sound of the typewriter and some spoken word comes the moving piano ballad “Invincible (ft. Lord Adam W. C. Costello).” The piano is played softly in the background and becomes part of the ambience of this extremely atmospheric finale. Feeling very intimate in vibe, once you listen to this record, you’ll get the sense that Small-Hawks is playing just a mere six-feet away. Packed with mood and feeling, I could tell right from the start that Small-Hawks is a talented artist that will have you returning to the tracks again and again. Don’t miss out!
1 Comment
Jeremy Small-Hawks
8/26/2022 12:05:23 pm
Thank you so much!! Very kind
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