In these troubled times anything that can transport us away from our isolated life should be (metaphorically) embraced. Step forward and take a bow Hamilton Leithauser.
From the opening bars of The Loves of Your Life, the American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whisks the listener across the pond with 11 impassioned vignettes. Each track is composed around the lives and loves of people he has met: “All of the stories are based on some kind of truth, some more heavily than others.”
Recorded in his own studio, the Struggle Hut, Leithauser plays most of the instruments, roping in his wife, children and their teacher on harmonies. It’s clear that the project is a labour of love and it's a perfect platform for his impressive vocal range.
There are some wonderful standout tracks – Isabella, with its glorious pedal steel courtesy of NYC country legend Jonathan Gregg, the storming Here They Come with its singalong chorus: “I was a fool, I was blind, I kept my eyes shut half the time”, and Don’t Check The Score: “The sun is coming up, my heart is filled with hope, sidewalks are empty, seven stories below.”
But the album works best played in its entirety. From cinematic opener The Garbage Men to the intimate The Old King, where Leithauser harmonises with his daughters, it’s positive, life-affirming stuff. Highly recommended.
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