REVIEWS
See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard
"Toronto, ON's Megan Hamilton forces a high-pressure jet of intense folk rock through a potent blend of human emotion on her second full-length album. More stylistically consistent than her beautifully quirky 2006 debut, Feudal Ladies Club, Hamilton's sophomore release is a sonic brew powerful enough to make the head swim."
-Exclaim!, Rachel Sanders
"Her simple vocal lines benefit greatly from her backing band and from sound designer Mark Vogelsang, who recorded the instruments according to how they might sound in various places on a ship." (NNN)
- NOW Magazine, Paul Terefenko
"Ontarian folk that sways, rocks and writhes, with great production and penmanship. Watch out, Martha Wainwright."
- Montreal Mirror
"Her sound has evolved from a plaintive, high lonesome country-folkiness to a more electrified sound that almost borders on bar-rock boogie at points but manages to stay distinctive thanks to Hamilton’s just slightly off-kilter vocals."
-Chromewaves.net, Frank Yang
"Combining the folksy earthiness of Buffy Sainte-Maire with the starry eclecticism of Joanna Newsom, See Your Midnight Breath In The Shipyard is connecting with me on a different level than I'm used to, and after I'd listened to it once, I found myself craving for it later."
- It's Not The Band I Hate, It's Their Fans
"Her fullest music to date, Megan possesses one of most lovely and resonant voices you'll hear with an impressive range to boot."
- Local Vertical
"It's pretty great. Just trust me on this one."
- Narratives, Jennifer Polk
"Not a bad folk-rock album from a Torontonian with an interesting, textured voice."
- Chartattack.com
"Working with familiar touch of co-producer Mark Vogelsang, Megan's songs are more mood driven and she lets her beautiful voice curl around the smokey melodies, adding just enough reverb and distortion to disrupt the calm (Sprout Through The Load)."
- Herohill
INTERVIEWS/FEATURES
"The Torontonian singer-songwriter is possessed of a rich, resonant set of pipes. Her vocals are husky and malleable, a smoky, wood-fired alto with lovely undertones of rust, tequila and threadbare flannel. Depending on the song, Hamilton can muster anything from the elastic-band hiccup of Joanna Newsom to the sun-soaked drawl of Lucinda Williams."
- Eye Weekly - Street Spirit, Sarah Liss
"Toronto-based singer/songwriter Megan Hamilton has gradually eased into the "Canada's best kept secret" club."
- BlogTO, Gary Peter
"The most fully realized set of Hamilton’s young career. It’s the first time she arranged, rehearsed and played in the studio with her backing band, The Volunteer Canola and their support on new numbers like "Cat Tail Legs" and "Sprout Through The Load" rock convincingly. But Hamilton’s evocative wordplay and winsome delivery is still her ace, best displayed on "Wherever You Are" and the luminous, devotional closer "Moth." "
- No Depression, Paul Cantin
how we think about light
“Hamilton has a natural knack for tying in the airy, experimental side of folk music with a touch of psychedelic rock, a mix that wrangles in any listener that crosses the Toronto-based artist’s path.” “Nostalgic, organic and truly enjoyable, How We Think About Light is every folk lover’s soundtrack to Canada’s breezy summer days.” - Amanda Ash, Exclaim!
eye weekly Disc-overy of the week * * * “The swirling production by Mark Vogelsang encompasses judiciously tremolo-ed guitar, droning accordion and thick vocal harmonies. Hamilton's voice is just slightly flat and wavering, but that only serves to accentuate the yearning in her songs.” - Howard Druckman, eye weekly
“Her voice is like a combination of [Joni] Mitchell and [Joanna] Newsom (with a heavier emphasis on the former, and an unforeseen detour through Martha Wainwright), all rich and melancholic and, above all else, distinctive even as she echoes others. Similarly, her lo-fi sound has a strong similarity to M. Ward's, as its general sparseness allows for her voice to weave its way into all sorts of dark corners (see "Saint Francis" for proof).” “...it's definitely something you need to hear if you haven't already.” i (heart) music
“Like a twisted and charming cabaret singer, Hamilton keeps the whole game simple, and by doing so wins every time.” “a lush, thoughtful album” - Shain Shapiro, View Mag
* * * * “This new six-song EP basks Hamilton’s quirky folksy style in a richer sound with added psychedelic tinges. Echoing vocals and splashes of electric guitar create a tripy ’60s pop sound that is both captivating and narcotic.” “It’s an album that induces day dreaming.” - John Orr, Metro
“an album that perfectly captures a sense of space and ambient sound.” “a beautiful collection” - About The Music CIUT
“It picks up where the full-length left off, with its woozily playful countryisms and heads off to a more high, lonesome and autumnal place with some new production tricks (My Morning Jacket called - they want their reverb back) and even some rock attitude in tow. The benefits of playing with a full band, The Volunteer Canola, between the first record and this one are evident and make for a fine follow-up.” - Frank Yang, Chromewaves
“I've been playing it on repeat for a few days running.” “The tunes here blend lonesome country/folk with dream pop; Mojave 3 and Edith Frost fans will likely swoon.” “...rich sonic textures that never seem showy or overdone, stamping each song with a certain atmosphere.” - Indie Folk Forever
“The electric undercurrent (of the slow bowed strings) that runs through the song sets a melancholic tone and really compliments the simple strums of Megan's guitar and the ache in her voice.” “Duelling [sic] vocals and guitar lines (and some computer effects courtesy of Mark [Vogelsang]) are used to build a dream-like melody that floats along like a cloud.” - Hero Hill
FEUDAL LADIES CLUB
“With a forlorn drawl in her off-key vocals and a sombre tone running throughout the album, it sounds like Megan Hamilton is no stranger to long nights with only a bottle of moonshine for company. Roots rocking females with both a mean streak AND a penchant for wearing their hearts on their sleeves are all the rage these days, and Hamilton will do well to fit in with the guitar-toting crowd thanks to her debut album, Feudal Ladies Club. Even the title of the 13-track record points to where the Toronto-based songstress has spotted her niche. This album won’t make any converts out of country music haters, but those who don’t mind a bit of Nashville with their indie rock—ala Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket, or Amy Millan—will find another decent alt.country performer to add to the list.”
Rating: ****
- Jaclyn Arndt, Soul Shine
“A gently twinkling country/folk gem of an album, Feudal Ladies Club is refreshing and enchanting. Singer-songwriter Megan Hamilton is a new face in the Toronto scene, coming to music from the world of theatre. Her stage background is evident in the songs on this disc: there’s a theatrical quality to her performance that adds to its considerable appeal. Alternating between “tinkly” piano, autoharp and guitar, each of the songs has its own distinct personality — from the quavering country ballad “Don’t Ask Me” to the silly, rhyming and whimsically rollicking “Sleeping on the Floor.” Hamilton’s unpolished vocals possess a raw and penetrating poignancy; wispy and occasionally wavering off-key, her voice seems to echo as if from across a vast abyss, beckoning alluringly but ultimately remaining aloof. It’s this vocal quality, as well as the wistful lyrical content, that gives her music such an overwhelming sense of yearning. A beautiful and quirky album full of character, endearing flaws and delicious melancholy.”
- Rachel Sanders, EXCLAIM! Magazine
“The dreamy folk/country is rich in emotion, something that lacks in most over-polished releases. But don't mistake the rawness of her vocal as an amateurish effort. In fact, what Megan's done is find her voice early in her career, as opposed to struggling across record after record looking.”
-Herohill, herohill.com
"...Megan makes beautiful stairwell folk music, with a voice that lives somewhere between Mazzy Star and June Carter Cash. Great for rainy days and post break-up wheat-germ cookie binges!"
- Tim Buchanan, SPUN Newsletter, Nashville
On the CD Release: "Megan et. al. performed wonderfully, sounded fantastic, and were otherwise incredible. From good ol' foot tappin' to downright emotive, everything was done with ease and felt so dang natural. It felt like everyone should have been in Saskatchewan recording the album with them.
My prediction: Feudal Ladies Club will be one of my definitive summer albums."
-Tin Men, www.rustyrobots.blogspot.com
"...a charming piece of wonderfully arranged and slightly off-kilter country-tinged folk."
- Frank Yang, chromewaves.net
OTHER
On ‘Time’ - “She moved me, and - honestly - I thought of Shakespeare's sonnet on friendship, Sonnet XXX. The point is: Megan Hamilton reached a clear place of understanding in this tune, and her lyrics, guitar, and her feeling, did the rest."
- David Fujino, The Live Music Report
"I'd initially felt a little cheated that Kathleen Edwards, who was supporting MMJ on every other date of the tour, was sitting this one out ... but was quite pleasantly surprised to find the two acts they enlisted in her stead to be very much up to the task. Megan Hamilton offered up a short and sweet set of plaintive country-ish tunes, with very tasteful backing from electric guitar and drums and quite sophisticated arrangements."
- Frank Yang, chromewaves.net
