Electra Day
Quiet Hours
(self-released)

The simple acoustic plucking and Julie Hampton’s earthy warble with her overly sustained vocal clutch on “Big Sky” opens the new nine-song Electra Day album Quiet Hours. “Falcon’s Gate” has some nice flicked acoustic phrases from Hampton and drip-like observations in the lyrics. A tune like “Ferry Song” works best for me though, as we get a really deep feeling of longing casting out with Hampton’s odd vocal delivery. Hampton’s singing is going to be one of those things that a listener either takes to or doesn’t; there is certainly no middle ground in the way she delivers her lyrics of heavy imagery. “Romance of the Stars” has some great finger strumming and Hampton coming up on the vocals lazier than she does in other places here. I truly like how she flows and undulates around this kinda jazzy number; it’s quite a nice, sexy love song. “October Nights” evokes some great imagery (Hampton is a very adept lyricist, that’s for sure) and she gets almost rapping here. “Old Blind Couple” is a sweet observation song closing Quiet Hours. It presents probably the best complement of what Julie Hampton does. The song has some good rhythm picking from her, her vocals roll up and over and even manage some last notes growled, and she provides great pictures in the lyrics. Electra Day’s new album Quiet Hours is a thick, folky solo effort not to be missed.