{"id":14983,"date":"2013-01-30T10:00:15","date_gmt":"2013-01-30T18:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=14983"},"modified":"2013-01-30T10:02:55","modified_gmt":"2013-01-30T18:02:55","slug":"welcome-back-to-brooklyns-hem-check-out-animated-video-for-new-song-tourniquet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2013-01\/welcome-back-to-brooklyns-hem-check-out-animated-video-for-new-song-tourniquet\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome Back to Brooklyn’s Hem–Check Out Animated Video For New Song “Tourniquet”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Once upon a time there was a brilliant, early-Brooklyn-adopter band called Hem<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 In 2001, Hem<\/strong> released an album entitled Rabbit Songs<\/strong> that took over our ears with its heart-rending melodies, traditional instrumentation, stirring lyrics and singer Sally Ellyson’s<\/strong> luminous vocals.\u00a0 Hem<\/strong> followed Rabbit Songs<\/strong> with two more similarly enthralling albums in 2004 (Eveningland<\/strong>) and 2006 (Funnel Cloud<\/strong>).\u00a0\u00a0 Over a decade after the release of their first album, Hem is back<\/strong> and will in April release a new album entitled Departure and Farewell<\/strong> on Waveland Records<\/strong>.\u00a0 We can’t wait.\u00a0 They’ve now released the first song from the album and animated video for Tourniquet<\/strong><\/em>, which you can check out below via NPR.\u00a0 After the song’s lyrics and video, download the song via the provided widget.<\/p>\n

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Songwriter and pianist Dan Messe<\/strong> told NPR<\/strong> recently that he “discovered the healing power of his own music in a song he wrote called\u00a0Tourniquet<\/strong><\/em>,” for the new album.\u00a0\u00a0 Check out below the song’s trouble-laden topics as depicted in the song and its new animated video from Jordan Bruner<\/strong>.\u00a0 Dan Messe told NPR “the band fell for the idea of animals that come to the city and become human. ‘We in Hem are suckers for anything involving anthropomorphic animals, so of course we jumped at this idea. It was important to us that the video ended with the wolf finding his way back home. It makes me especially pleased to see him and his girl howling at the end.'”<\/p>\n

Check out the song’s sterling lyrics below followed by the video.\u00a0 The pain is palpable when Sally Ellyson<\/strong> ends the song’s first stanza with a barely-whispered “Where it sinks to the bottom, and it hurts like hell.” If you don’t know Hem<\/strong>, do yourselves a favor and pick up their entire discography.\u00a0 And then pre-order Departure and Farewell<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Brooklyn, I\u2019m broken \u2013 I\u2019m breaking apart \u2013
\nGreenpoint pins down my hand, Red Hook pierces my heart \u2013
\nAnd my blood runs into the Gowanus Canal
\nWhere it sinks to the bottom
\nAnd hurts like hell.<\/p>\n

The Prospectors still search for highs in the heights
\n\u2018Til their first bloody nose which they laugh off despite
\nHow it seems that whatever gets left in a bar
\nJust becomes part of Brooklyn
\nAnd here we are.<\/p>\n

Oh, here we are\u2026<\/p>\n

Brooklyn, your war was just won by the South \u2013
\nSome kid\u2019s shooting off rounds from the roof of his mouth \u2013
\nAnd these trains held in Chambers are ready to blow
\nAll the way back to Brooklyn
\nAnd here we go.<\/p>\n

Oh, here we go\u2026<\/p>\n

Oh Brooklyn, your bridges are bound up in light \u2013
\nEvery artery\u2019s clogged as you pull the belt tight \u2013
\nAnd this tourniquet turns even tighter until
\nTraffic comes to a standstill.
\nWe come to a standstill.
\nI come to a standstill.<\/p>\n

Oh, here we are\u2026”<\/p>\n

\u00a9 2012 Peep Music, Inc.<\/p>\n