A Moth, a Flame was quietly released this past spring. So quietly, in fact, that you may have missed what could be the perfect soundtrack for your summer evenings. Like their contemporaries Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes, Luke Smith and company channel early Neil Young with a modern twist. Smith, the songwriter and lead vocalist, has credited Damon Moon’s production for the album’s sky-spanning splendor. Smith let Moon take over much of the instrumentation for A Moth, a Flame and the ambition of Moon’s production is evident in the care taken to perfect each miniscule sound.
“Voices in the Hall” opens the album with a few simple guitar strums—reminders that Hare and the Hounds is a songwriting project at its heart. However, by the second verse the song has filled out with reverberating backing vocals, shimmering electric guitars and ever-present drum rolls.
The duo’s heavily layered melodies add an emotional intensity to songs which sometimes feel as if they will collapse under their own grandiosity. Though tracks like “Vigil” and “Origins” struggle to keep up with their own opulence, songs like “Sparrows” and the title track bring a welcome respite of quiet reflection. Recently, I was able to sit down with Smith and he explained that throughout the writing process, he consciously imbued the album with an introspective feel. “In Our Own Words” is the best example of this meditative pace, as it stretches out a few simple themes into what seems like a blissful eternity. Despite clocking in at eight and a half minutes, it never overreaches. Rather, it allows the listener to settle into a contented saunter.
As far as singer-songwriter albums go, this is far better suited for a cathedral than a coffee shop, but the most engaging moments are also the simplest. When the reverb and cymbal wash are stripped away, Smith reminds us that quiet moments of a song can be the most important.
Hare and the Hounds are currently taking a minor break as Smith plays guitar for Sydney Eloise & the Palms, but are planning on returning to the studio in the fall. In the meantime, you can grab A Moth, a Flame on vinyl, digital and limited run CD via the group’s Bandcamp page.
More Info
Bandcamp: hareandthehounds.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @hareandthehounds