A few months ago, news was made public that ambient band Hammock was collaborating with singer/songwriter Matthew Ryan on new material that, at the time, was amorphous. Songs were being written, to be sure, but it was unclear how or when we’d be privy to the fruits of their labor. Then, just a week before Christmas, the Tennessean reported that Ryan and Hammock, both based in Nashville, would be releasing a digital single, titled “Like New Year’s Day,” on (you guessed it) the first day of 2011. And so it was: Whilst nursing hangovers and watching football with red, bleary eyes, the song was made available for purchase and streaming through Bandcamp, iTunes and other digital retailers. A lush, densely affecting piece, “Like New Year’s Day” marries the best aspects of Ryan’s world-weary croon with Hammock’s rich, compositional patience, the results of which should please anyone with a soft spot for the Cure, Celebrity or Slowdive. Fortunately for MAGNET readers, Ryan and Hammock are allowing us to premiere the edited version of the track today, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to grab it below. The unedited versions are all the more moving, however, so you’ll want to purchase them from the artists themselves, too. The extra two minutes of bright, shoegaze-y drone is definitely worth the small price you’ll pay to own the complete set.
“Like New Year’s Day” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/LikeNewYearsDay.mp3
