Funnel Cloud (Bonus Track)

This itunes version is terribly distorted, at least my copy. I wrote itunes and heard nothing back. I had to buy an actual CD so that I could listen to many of the songs. Do your self a favor and listen to the samples before you buy because I think you'll see that the sound is awful. Hey, I love Apple and all that, but this is really a rip off.

Hem is a league of its own. The pastoral hymns evoke feelings of an innocence lost and dying, and a profound sense of homesickness for a land that will not return. With one listen, one remembers eating homemade ice cream on his grandmother's front porch, catching fireflies on a warm summer evening, and immediately and intimately the first time love was made or the first time a loved one was lost. That power to vividly evoke specific memories is a gift not many artists have. Hem should be remembered along with the names of Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. Hopefully, they will get the recognition they deserve.

Darn it, I have EVERY Hem song they ever released -- even the more rare EP stuff and some live tracks that were released through the AllAboutHem website. And I buy all of their stuff on CDs because the songs are definitely, definitely worth getting them in full uncompressed CD audio format. But I can't get "In a Barrel At Sea" unless I buy the entire album AGAIN in iTunes format. Nuts to that! I HATE when the stupid record companies do that!! Give a fan a break! OK, I had to get that out of my system. That said, this album is one of Hem's very best and the 30-second snippets just don't do it justice. It is, in a word, beautiful. I think of all of Hem's releases as precious gems. They have never released a bad track.

This is the first Hem album I bought after hearing them on NPR. It is magnificent! Sally's vocals are so pure, so convincing that she stands above all other singers I've heard. The songs themselves are well written and expertly performed and produced. I cannot choose a favorite cut from the album; they all have so much to offer. Buy the album and you too will be hooked!

I found Hem by accident while searching around iTunes - the song that capitvated me most was "Pacific Street" on the Eveningland album. This newest album from Hem is pure perfection from start to finish. I can throw on this album and immediately feel at peace. "Not California" is so bittersweet it makes your heart melt. "The Burnt-Over District" is an instrumental work of genius - I dare anyone to listen to it and not get drawn into the beauty. If you don't get this album, you are missing out on a wonderful experience.

About 30 days before the release I heard “Not California” on NPR. I thought this is the best song Hem has ever done, if the rest of the album is like this I’ll be overjoyed. After the first listen I didn’t enjoy it as much as Eveningland or Rabbit Songs, but about the 5th time through something happened. He Came to Meet Me happened, Hotel Fire happened, Curtains, Almost Home, Old Adam, Reservoir happened. This is the best album they have done. Do NOT overlook this group; they will be the new soundtrack to your life.

I'm not one to throw out 5 stars to anyone, but seriously, this album is wonderful. Lush, beautiful, touching. Just great songwriting and absolutely perfect execution. It's more than folk, like another reviewer said, it has a chamber music quality to it. But there is a very modern edge. There is nobody quite like Hem. I can't wait to catch them live next time they come around.

Here's a great example of why the music business is not dead. Listening to XM, I heard this fabulous vocal performance and, thanks to today's technology, I could see the name of this great group. I walked over to the computer and instantly purchased the whole album. For $10, this is a record you'll be listening to years from now. Great tempo, outstanding vocals, and fantastic production.

caught my ear on an NPR interview and was interested. downloaded the album and was blown away by the grace of the music. they have a sound that is unlike anythig i have ever heard before.

A lot of people are talking about that Liberty Mutual TV commercial where people do small acts of kindness for each other. A big part of the magic and wonder of that commercial-- and I never thought I'd be uttering those three words in the same breath--is a song called "Half Acre" from Rabbit Songs. I had never heard of Hem before the Liberty commercial. I now own every album they have released inclusing Funnel Cloud. It is amazing. It is full of awe and passion. It will touch you. It will move you. These people are soooo amazingly talented. Do yourself a favor. Drop everything and buy Funnel Cloud now!