After months of anticipation, Ormiston finally launches his debut album Hammer Down. Having introduced us to his brand of laid-back grooves via a steady stream of singles, now’s the time for the Canadian artist to put his hammer down and welcome us into his world. A world filled with colour, funk, and nothing but good times.
With a focus for the nostalgic, Hammer Down takes us on a coming of age journey. It focuses on the shift from childhood to adulthood. It’s a theme we saw shine on the recent Heavyman EP, but where it was performed through the heavy, heavy sound of guitars there, this time it’s allowed to dance against the backdrop of Ormiston’s characteristically upbeat sound. It has a wonderful care-free nature to it that makes it one of most accessible records of the year.
After wandering through the haze of ‘Foreign Travels’ comes ‘Rebel’. Its reckless abandon for volume control floods the ears with sunny synthesisers to lead you straight onto the dancefloor. Bolstered with a disco-flair in the drums and the subtle injection of bass into the hips, the debut single is a serious earworm, and sets a precedent that things are gonna get GROOVY.
‘Time Fades’ stands out as a real highlight. It really makes the most of its time, transforming surroundings into a glorious stage complete with sunshine and rhythm. The instrumental dazzles with melodies flowing in and out of each ear, backed up by the snappiest of drums and Ormiston’s soaring vocals. This has the potential to be song of the summer, for sure.
What makes Hammer Down so good is how familiar it sounds. Despite this being an introduction of a brand-new artist, the elements taken from Indie-Pop and Disco makes it so easy to get into. Each song could’ve easily kicked off the record as they each feature a particular hook that makes it memorable. Whether that’s the harmony on ‘Adeline’, the shimmering percussion on ‘Hammer Down’, or the at-the-beach guitars on ‘Step from the Limelight’, there’s really no wrong way to listen to this record. The only mistake is if you’re not playing it continuously.
Hammer Down is a superb record from Ormiston. It is less of an introduction but more of a reunion with an old friend – everything feels just like the good old days, and this record has that vibe nailed down perfectly. I could get down with this record endlessly, and I especially cannot wait to soundtrack my summer with it. What a debut, what a record.