Search - Hami :: Captain's Table

"Quirky indie-pop ... a handful of rockers that bristle with raucous post-Guided By Voices abandon." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [HHHH] A ringing attribute of Jim Willingham's songwriting is that it manages to be exuberant and highminded all at once. Combining the terse acoustic propulsion of the late-model Feelies with the breezy, half-stoned-on-the-beach pop ambiance of Dean Wareham's Luna, Willingham brings distinctive Athenian warmth to The Captain's Table. There are horn charts and string sections, burst veins of Link Wray-ish guitar play, pastoral keyboard drones, tremulous bits of Hawaiian slackkey guitar, and some country-fried saunter up under the rhythm section. Chiefly, though, there's that friendly storytelling voice--half-sung, half-spoken--that escorts the listener through broken waltzes, atmospheric ballads, and jittery rockers. For his first Orange Twin release, Willingham recruited a couple of longstanding Elephant Six luminaries: former Olivia Tremor Control member Eric Harris, Pete Erchick, Jacob Morris, and Chris Sugiuchi make key contributions to the disc. Andy Baker's shimmering, vibrant production serves each song with minimal intrusion, lending an airy, informal atmosphere that makes for rewarding repeated listening.