Benni Hemm Hemm - Retaliate

Having stitched himself into Scotland’s alt-folk fabric (working with Withered Hand, Eagleowl and Alasdair Roberts amongst others), Retaliate is an inauguration of sorts for Icelander Benni Hemm Hemm. It if sounds like the work of a more seasoned songwriter, that’s because it is: with three albums and two EPs already under his belt, Benni’s English-language debut bristles with confidence. From the rich, soulful burn of Blood of my Blood to the measured crescendo of Blood on Lady Lawson (lyrically, he seems to have a thing for haemoglobin…), Retaliate stirs and pacifies in balance. But it’s the quivering beauty of Church Loft that’s most likely to trigger shivers, and in doing so stoke his already strong reputation further still. [Chris Buckle]