Montreal’s FELICITY HAMER & BLACK LEATHER ROSE pay tribute to Canada’s greatest boxer with “Heavy Hitter”
After sharing the single “Heavy Hitter” — an instant classic ballad about Canada’s greatest boxer George Chuvalo — Felicity Hamer & Black Leather Rose today release their self-titled debut EP, displaying their unique approach to alt-country and Americana.
Felicity Hamer & Black Leather Rose brings together three of the most prominent names on Montreal’s alt-country and garage rock scenes to create a new sound that combines classic honky tonk with modern indie in ways only Montreal musicians can.
That sense of adventure is palpable throughout the five songs on Felicity Hamer & Black Leather Rose (six if you get it from Bandcamp), presenting surprises at every turn, with melodies drawn from icons such as Tammy Wynette and Emmylou Harris blending with ambient soundscapes and psychedelic overtones inspired by contemporary Americana heroes like Neko Case.
Along with Felicity Hamer, whose CV contains stints with United Steelworkers of Montreal, the Slowinks, Filly & The Flops and other projects, the trio is comprised of guitarist Roy Vucino, a staple of Montreal’s punk and experimental scenes who has worked with Evan Dando, Mac DeMarco and Mike Watt, and engineer/multi-instrumentalist Sebastien Perry whose studio experience includes David Usher, Nikki Yanofsky, Florence K, and a host of other beloved Quebec artists. Tracks also feature Berlin native Omri Gondor (Saba Lou, Hellshovel) on drums as well as appearances by various Montreal musicians.
The group comes out of the gate at full throttle on the new focus track “Blood Harmony,” with Morricone-esque guitars, blazing fiddle, and Hamer’s fiery vocals (accompanied by former USWM band mate Gern f. Vlchek). Felicity explains, “The term ‘blood harmony’ describes that coveted vocal blend that only siblings or close relatives can achieve. But not all such relationships are harmonious. This is a song about ‘broken branches’ and ‘love’s impasses.'”
In all, Felicity Hamer & Black Leather Rose is a compelling first glimpse of a collaboration that seems destined to make a lasting impression beyond the Monreal scene. Although it’s convenient to classify the trio’s sound as country, that label is merely the foundation of a musical vision with unlimited possibilities (with more already in the works).
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