Hammerhands by E.W. Harris

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Richard T. Scott

In his latest single, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter E.W. Harris blurs the lines between many genres and vocal styles in a way that appeals to more than one demographic of listeners. In the newest single “Hammerhands”, which he wrote and performed all by himself, Mr. Harris tells the story of an alien executioner in a dystopian lost-love story. It’s a futuristic narrative backed by a nostalgic soundtrack and this is what makes “Hammerhands” a remarkable listen. The track begins with simple chord strumming and a vocal riff that instantly makes you know for certain what a great vocalist Harris is. This vocal style sounds like a marriage between the storytelling style of Tom Petty, and the soulful softness of famous youtube musician Shawn James. The arrangement of the music itself is typical of a pop-folk/country tune with soft and spaced percussion that gives us a chance to enjoy the mellow guitars. As the song went on, the drums became clearer and heavier, but never broke from that folk character and further accentuated the emotions of the song. This one is for the days when you take a long car ride or a walk by the coastline and need a story to listen to, in top-tier music form. The track was produced by the award-winning engineer Kia Eshghi with assistance from composer/accompanist Edward Marks and released under the label Hanging Moon Records. Their creative efforts manifest in this soft and beautifully crafted melody, with its polished production and clear details that show the world-class caliber of both the songwriting and engineering it had. The full upcoming record from E.W. Harris is entitled “Homunculus IV” and I wonder if this means it’ll have more fictional themes in its lyrics. But there’s no doubt when it comes to the enjoyable and emotional punches that its music will carry.