Hey Harmony

by Gregory McIntoshHey Harmony marks Thomas Hansen's (aka St. Thomas) follow-up to his stateside debut, I'm Coming Home, and a nice, casual step forward for the Norwegian songwriter. From the cyclical opening shuffle, it's clear that Hansen was in a considerably more sincere mood than the lovable goofiness that made up much of I'm Coming Home, as he confesses his regrets for attempting to escape his past by simply turning a blind eye. This is not to say that Hansen has lost his playfulness, but that he's clearly found some reconciliation to whatever it was he was "running for a long, long time" away from. Over a fully realized and clean production, he simply and elegantly explains his difficulty getting his worries off his chest without fishing for sympathy or forgiveness. Almost every aspect of Hey Harmony, from the songwriting to the performance to the production, represents a small, graceful step up the learning curve when compared to I'm Coming Home, and yet the whole affair never sounds toiled over, but instead like the songs fell into completion of their own will. "Be Cool Be Nice" has one of the nicest hooks on the album, even though the song takes a little while to wind up into full glory, and "Institution" holds the same power as the live guitar and group vocal performance of "I'm Coming Home #2" when Hansen's voice reaches into its choked upper register, while the aforementioned opening track, "A Long Long Time," and the creepy, spaghetti Western feel of "Falling Down" hold the art of Hey Harmony at its peak. Flowing nicely over the top of it all are lovely vocal harmonies to solidify the listening experience as a pleasant, relaxing affair.