The brainchild of award-winning singer-songwriter Avi Jacob, Hawk In The Nest is an indie-pop/rhythm and blues project, complete with horns, organ, guitar, tinkling piano, and laid back vocal style. New single, ‘Hawk In The Nest’, the title track from the album named for the band, brings with it vibes of Leonard Cohen, early Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Al Green. In short – it’s exquisite.
With drawling vocals, Jacob carves a trail through the lyrics, telling a story of love – requited? Unrequited? It’s not certain, but through a series of analogies he states his case, while fully exposing his pain. Like Cohen, his lyrics are as much poetry stanzas as song verses, and work just as well recited as sung.
“Oh to be a hawk in the nest / spend all day hunting / come home to your breast”, “there’s nothing left to gain / still I’m drawn to you / like a moth to a flame / who’s a glutton for pain”, and “oh to be a worm in the dirt / I’m tired of telling lies / to cover up this hurt”
His heart is pounding, full of love and – not quite hopelessness, but perhaps of reaching the point where he needs to let it all out, one last time, to let it be known that he’s there, but maybe not for much longer.
Meanwhile, the object of his affections is coping with hurt in their own way, “staying at your phone / to distract from the pain”. They’re afraid to let him in, or to allow themselves to fully share how they’re feeling. The last verse however, gives the listener a clue that it might not be for too much longer.
“Oh to be a clear mountain spring
Deep in the heart of every living thing
Oh let me be the teardrops
That roll down your face
Or the muscle and bone
That keep everything in place”
Released on November 21, ‘Hawk In The Nest’ was produced with Wolfgang Zimmerman, best known for his work with Band Of Horses, along with bassist Joel Hamilton. The album also features piano from Noah Jones, of the Psycodelics, and horns from Michael Quinn, of Doom Flamingo.
Listen to ‘Hawk In The Nest’ below. You can stream and download the complete eight track album here, and find out more about Avi Jacob and Hawk In The Nest from his official website, Facebook, and Spotify.
