Album Review: Hammer No More The Fingers - Looking For Bruce

In a world where indie pop-rock is ever-expanding, it's not difficult to lose sight of the past generations of the genre. Hammer No More The Fingers not only remembers the sound of indie music in the 90’s but also demonstrated their dedication to original influence with their release Looking For Bruce, a record that could easily be mistaken as a product from that time itself.

Looking For Bruce starts off with “Automobiles,” a drum-driven song that immediately draws the listener in. With raw but clean vocals, Duncan Webster and Jeff Stickley are pleasant to listen to throughout the entire album, and their lyrics are just an added bonus. As Webster’s vocals fluctuate while he sings, “Don’t know how hard it’s been, living without a friend, in the center of the world” on “Shutterbug,” it's clear the band has a lot to bring to the table.

As the album progresses, it becomes hard to differentiate among the songs. Tracks like “Nobody Knows,” “Mushrooms,” and “Concrete” may all be enjoyable, but they are strikingly similar and do not stand out like much of the rest of the record. Luckily, the songs are spread apart and will not be a bother to sit through if you’re a picky listener.

The song of the album is, without a doubt, “Poison Apple.” The song itself is reflective of life and points out the difference between the way Webster sees himself and the way his friends see him. Lines like “I held on to a younger day, that’s where I stay” and “she took my head, look inside, is what she said, and how I changed my songs of love to songs off pain,” highlight HNMTF’s uncanny ability to create accessible music and lyrics. Everybody wants to relive the best days of his or her youth.

Looking For Bruce closes with “I Fell Asleep,” a slightly repetitive but still enjoyable song with the daunting lyric, “I fell asleep burning my eyes out last night.” Hammer The Fingers No More will certainly not blow you away on the first listen, but they have released a fundamentally solid album with a vintage 90’s sound that should not be missed out on.

3.5/5

'Looking For Bruce' by Hammer No More The Finger on Inhaler Records early this year.

Hammer No More The Finger on MySpace

Zack Zarrillo