Just a couple of days ago, Canadian musician, Ormiston released his debut album, ‘Hammer Down’. Consisting of 8 tracks, the album sees him provide what could easily be a soundtrack to a coming of age film, with each song exploring elements of different genres.
The album opens with ‘Foreign Travels’, a short but sweet instrumental number. Ormiston started his musical career as a producer, and it is within ‘Foreign Travels’ that this becomes clear – it’s a vibrant, laidback track that bodes wonderfully with this sunny weather.
‘Rebel’ quickly follows, a dose of danceable indie pop, which avid listeners will already be familiar with. The song was Ormiston’s debut release back in February, however, it finds its own place upon Hammer Down, flowing in seamlessly from the instrumental before it. It features heartfelt lyricism with catchy, fuzzy instrumentation that is destined to get your foot tapping.
Working hand in hand with ‘Rebel’ is a personal favourite from the album, ‘Time Fades’, it showcases a groovy, uplifting charm whilst still remaining inline with personal, emotive lyrics that feel as if to be Ormiston’s secret weapon.
Some of the tracks on this album feel as if they transport you to a different universe, ‘Adeline’ is one of them. Here, Ormiston plays with his influences a lot, with this track displaying slight similarities to Tame Impala. ‘Adeline’ holds a retro-feeling drum beat, alongside detuned synths which put Ormiston’s instrumental talent into the spotlight.
Title track, ‘Hammer Down’, is infused with 80-s pop and whilst listening to this track it becomes increasingly clear that Ormiston makes music that is destined to be played loud in the summer months. ‘Hammer Down’ and the rest of the tracks on the album provide laidback, dancy beats which will have you gagging for festival season.
‘Step From The Limelight’ is, lyrically, the strongest track on this album. It tells the story of someone who is scared of living a life of monotony and examines the lust to be a part of an empty culture that will satisfy the protagonists self-esteem.
‘Hammer Down’ is a gorgeous collection of nu-disco, indie-pop tracks that allow Ormiston to find his feet in the industry. The album sees Ormiston produce a set of summery songs which are smart both instrumentally and lyrically.
Also on RGM ????