Specials - Hamer Place

For a few people within the Irish music scene, this album feels long overdue. The reclusive Ross Hamer has teased audiences with breadcrumbs of music since 2023 that would make Frank Ocean look as prolific as Neil Young. Nevertheless, those who call themselves fans of Hamer Place are a hardy few, and have finally reached the top of the mountain. Ross Hamer’s slice of life poetry is a breath of fresh air in the sea of Über-confessional singer-songwriters that come out each and every year, by simply choosing to focus on the simple important things in life. Caravan’s(On Holiday), Café’s(Gerry’s retired), and Tina Turner(Tribute to Tina). There’s a bookish, sensitive fun on this album, ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Reading’ being a prime example. It’s funny the way Paul McCartney is funny on Ram,. the frantic, childish energy of the band, consisting of a splendid mixture of Search Results and Oh Boland alumni, Fionn Brennan and Jack Condon being from the former, Niall Murphy and Ross Hamer coming in the latter, gives these stories a bittersweet and engaging backdrop. The closing song, ‘Keep Breathing’, a love letter to Ross’ late Grandfather Ernie, is the emotional centrepiece to this album. While most albums have heart in them, they usually only have one atrium and maybe a valve worth of heart in it. This album most definitely used the entire organ to make this future classic. Specials is out now, and most definitely worth a listen for all music fans.