Ease the Work, the 2024 studio effort from the Philadelphia instrumental collective Hour, was my introduction to Michael Cormier-O’Leary’s unique assemblage of musicians. Recorded the previous year in a theater on Peaks Island, off the Maine coast, it’s intimate, ambient outsider music that’s simultaneously warm and brittle, a dozen musicians moving deliberately through a dozen oddly moving compositions. Cormier-O’Leary has followed up on that hypnotic, acclaimed release with Subminiature, placing the same basic framework in a live setting, recorded between March and August last year.
The effect of Subminiature is much like its predecessor, and the venues from which the recordings are culled are – much like this ensemble – a bit unusual. According to the Hour Bandcamp page, the tour “saw the group performing in movie theaters, on islands, in machine shops and parking garages, crowded bars and living rooms, churches and theaters. Invariably, the music expands and contracts to match the space the ensemble is performing in.” While the music sounds much like what you hear on Ease the Work, the settings are sympathetic spaces (with equally sympathetic audiences) that inspire Cormier-O’Leary and his ensemble to produce something equally, if not more stunning, than the previous release.
The songs roll along on a medium to slow tempo, delicate notes tumbling down calmly and meditatively. There’s an ambient vibe, but it’s also very organic, thanks to bright strings, guitars, woodwinds, and percussion. You won’t find beds of synthesizers or fussy effects here.
“At the Bar Where You Literally Saved Me from Fatal Heartbreak” opens the proceedings and immediately sets the tone. Beginning with what sounds like some sort of mechanical hum that might just be the space’s air conditioning or some other non-musical machinery, the performance is lifted by the meshing of electric guitar with a sharp string ensemble, as distortion and low-key noise drifts in and out.
“Beautiful, OH”, recorded at the same Peaks Island location where Ease the Hour was created, contains some crowd ambience that never distracts from the music. Instead, it places the recording in the proper context. These musicians feel a kinship with the audience (and vice versa) and are part of the recording, underscoring the feeling of the music expanding and contracting to match the space.
Elsewhere, “The Most Gorgeous Day in History” has a bit of a sharper edge, thanks to the presence of brushed drums that give it a slightly industrial bent, whereas other tracks have more buffed edges. That song and several others were originally heard in slightly different settings on Ease the Work. However, the sense that they are in a live setting is palpable, if somewhat indefinable.
“Mom Calls and You Answer,” with its slightly gospel-edged piano introduction, is particularly moving once the strings begin their accompaniment. “KC and Clem”, another Ease the Work track, benefits from an almost overloaded arrangement as the deliberate guitar figures ease into a lush, full-band conclusion. Like much of the record, the song’s arrangement has such an emotional heft that it could easily be scored for an orchestra and not lose any of its original luster.
The one time Hour deviate from their template is when Jacob Augustine joins them on vocals for the LP’s lone cover, the standard “I Fall to Pieces”, popularized by Patsy Cline. Recorded at Philamoca in Philadelphia, it’s a bit of a jarring shift from some of the more abstract sounds on Subminiature, but to hear this unique collective known for instrumental passages tear into a timeless country standard shows how easily their sound can fit into different genres without missing a beat. It’s an intriguing and profoundly satisfying deviation, and judging by the response, the audience is clearly delighted.
“I Fall to Pieces” is followed, in true unpredictable fashion, by the album’s closer, “Dox”, perhaps the most atonal, experimental track in this collection. But it’s hardly noise for the sake of noise. No matter what type of composition they are working through, Hour always temper their unusual style with deep emotion and contemplation. There is nothing conventional about this band or this album, but Hour always finds new ways to provide comfort and joy.