Hank Heaven—Welterweight

The opening track on this six track EP, "I Wanna Be Your Man", instantly gives me Paul Simon vibes, specifically in the acoustic guitar. It's soft and clean and sets a wonderfully emotive tone. The vocals have a youthfulness to them, while at the same time carrying a hint of fragility. The result is a track that leaves you wondering whether you should feel carefree or vulnerable.

When "Thread" starts, there's a definite feel of the '90s, with echoes of bands such as Semisonic or Hootie & the Blowfish. That band sound soon subsides, though, and once again the focus falls on Hank's vocals. I'm not quite sure whether the lyrics refer to a relationship that's ended or a lover who has passed away. Perhaps that ambiguity is intentional, but either way there is a sense of loss, while still being tied to someone through that invisible thread.

While "Daddy's Gonna Buy You a Car" feels like an upbeat, happy song, the lyrics tell a rather different story. They seem to be about privilege, with one person complaining while the narrator clearly has little sympathy for their problems. Later, the narrator reveals their own struggles, only for the privileged person to say they understand. But how can they, when they have "Daddy" to fall back on? I'm not quite sure whether "Daddy" refers to a father or a sugar daddy, and either interpretation gives the song a very different feel.

Falling back to a slower pace, "Seinfeld" documents the ebbs and flows of a relationship and compares them to a Seinfeld episode. I'm not sure that says much about the relationship, though I suppose that very much depends on the episode in question.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of the title "Hank's Heaven's 113th Wet Dream", but there's something deeper to it than the shock value of the title. It's a sweet, affectionate tale of romance and inadequacy. It's told in a matter of fact way, but doesn't dwell on the negative; it simply states what is seemingly obvious. There's that feeling of punching above your station. We've all been there, but sometimes the punching is worth it.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of the last track, "Dog Needs Man". There's the obvious parallel of being loved no matter what, something dogs are renowned for and their unconditional love. But there's also a hint of transformation and wanting to become something different. The idea of changing yourself, or becoming something more, only really has meaning if someone else can see that change in you.

This was one of those releases where I was instantly enamoured with the overall sound, which is very much acoustic, with some light accompaniment. On listening more deeply, though, there's much more to it, and you get the sense that there's a lot invested personally in the words. I could delve much deeper, but I much prefer to let the music do the talking, which I think it does so very well. A great release.