A Hawk And A Hacksaw — The Way The Wind Blows

New Mexico's A Hawk And A Hacksaw, for those who don't know, come courtesy of Jeremy Barnes, former drummer for Neutral Milk Hotel. Not surprisingly, the music of AHAAH veers pretty heavily towards the Elephant 6 sound that was popular in the late '90s. The Way The Wind Blows is the band's third album and features plenty of weird tempos, odd noises and cranky, moaning vocals. The latter can be a tad grating, but most of the disc is instrumental so the listener can concentrate on the arrangements, which are heavy on brass and feature a vaguely Spanish influence. AHAAH sound like carnival music run amuck, and while there's no doubt The Way The Wind Blows is a challenging listen, it should offer some rewards for fans of Nick Cave, Tom Waits and other artists of their ilk.

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