Hamlet - The Breaking Point Is Grieving. (11 October)

 

I adored Hamlet's 2025 album, Light Under Repair, (review here) and the follow up is even more interesting. Appearing again on my good friend Darrin Lee's Subjangle label, as you might expect the trademark Indie Pop and Jangle Pop are all shipshape and ready.

But this is much more than that. The string arrangements at times, make the album more Baroque Pop. As I mentioned in the previous review, the trio format fits Chris Wales like a glove, but the guest appearances add much too.

Travis Talbert's Pedal Steel on Blocked At The Bank turns the gentle Guitar Pop into something more Americana and the killer chorus is anthemic. Kate Wakefield's Cello on Borrowed Time is hypnotic, nourishing a great Pop song.

Mike Fair's Guitar on the closer, Columns is incendiary and enhances and embraces a song that shows another side of Wales, a darker vocal, a little Talking Heads in style and the arrangement is wonderful. On the vocal side, Wales's mellow laidback vocal suits the material perfectly.

There is great variety too. Looms Large is great Power Pop, While You Were In The Window is splendid pastoral Psych Pop. The Story After is great Guitar Pop, built on a killer Riff. Emptying Pockets is a little IRS and adds yet another string to the bow.

Obvious comparisons will be made to Flying Nun and Sarah Records, but at times, the album is a little more muscular, for want of a better word. The arrangements are exemplary and admirable. You just have to sit back and admire what Hamlet have come up with.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The album is available on CD and as a download.

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