By now it's a cliché to say that odds-and-sods collections are cause for diminished expectations. Ostensibly the songs weren't good enough for proper albums, so consistency and cohesion of theme or sound are usually sacrificed in favor of a catchall organization and stunt covers. This type of release is widely regarded as a means to keep fans interested for another year or two ("stopgap" is a common descriptor), maybe to make a few bucks off recordings that are just collecting dust anyway, and at the very least to give some insight into the artists' creative process and live show. But sometimes the cliché rings perfectly true, as in the case of Hem's new odds-and-sods collection, enticingly titled No Word From Tom. Featuring demos, live cuts, covers, alternate takes, and non-album tracks, this compilation could be the epitome of this type of release, with all the predictable merits and flaws.
So what, then, does No Word From Tom tell us about Hem? Well, for starters, that they're more adventurous than their polite sound usually suggests, and that their songs are never really finished, but just packets of future possibilities, easily rearranged and retooled. Several songs here are alternate versions of album tracks, with new instrumentation or arrangements revised for live settings. This version of the instrumental "Eveningland", from the 2004 album of the same name, sprawls out to showcase soundtrack-ready orchestration and atmosphere, and Hem add two sets of lyrics to that same album's "Cincinnati Traveler"-- one with impressionistic imagery about the Civil War, the other with lyrics "misheard" from the previous version. The best tracks on No Word From Tom are the outtakes from those album sessions-- most notably "The Present" and "Oh No"-- which sound like finished products.
The live tracks, on the other hand, are hit or miss. "Betting on Trains" possesses a languid directness that makes Sally Ellyson's vocals on the chorus all the more startling, and "Sailor" nicely translates the Rabbit Songs original's orchestral arrangements to a stage setting without losing any of its balanced fullness. But where "Idle" should be a show-closing powerhouse, instead it falls short: Despite Dan Messé's descending piano trills, the song feels a little stunted in this new arrangement, implying the potential for folksy drama without actually achieving it. The applause feels only polite.
Perhaps the biggest draw for No Word From Tom will be the covers. Generally, the older the original, the better it sounds in Hemland. Tony Joe White's "Rainy Night in Georgia" is just as its title suggests: a patiently paced country ballad about wasting time with a grieving heart, it retains all its drowsy power in this setting. And "Tennessee Waltz", a live staple of Hem shows, is a lowly lament, its waltz tempo muted for maximum heartache. But neither Fountains of Wayne nor R.E.M. translates very naturally to the band's unhurried sound: The former's "Radiation Vibe" is so slow it lacks any vibe at all, and the latter's "So. Central Rain" drains the original of its Southern mystery. So these tracks tell us that Hem aren't always the best judge of cover material, but maybe the adventurous attempt is all that matters-- at least on a release like this.
