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"From the Trees" is British singer-songwriter Peter Hammill's 35th solo album, released on his own Fie! Records on December 1st 2017.
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 84, based on 4 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".
User Album Review
From The Trees is the latest in a very long line of determinedly individualistic, some might say self-absorbed, Hammill solo albums. Will it win the highbrow progster new admirers? Not a jot. Will it sell more than a generous handful of copies? Unlikely. But that doesn’t stop it being achingly, challengingly brilliant. The overriding theme is, as ever, an intensely personal one. Since suffering a heart attack in 2003 Hammill has been haunted by visions of his own mortality. Now nearing his 70th birthday – and if you’ll forgive the image of a rancid tramp waving a placard down Oxford Street – he realises the end is nigh. Thus From The Trees, to quote the man himself, is full of songs that explore – or, more accurately, dissect – the experience of “facing up to or edging in towards twilight”.
In common with much of PH’s modern-day output the album has a sparse, cottage-industry appeal. Occasional bursts of fierce, psychotic guitar evoke the spirit of punk-rock alter ego, Rikki Nadir. Otherwise it’s voice and piano and very little else. The intimacy is at times so intense it’s almost frightening.
Reviewed by Geoff Barton for teamrock.com.
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