Ismay -- Half Truth
Half Truth, writes Richard Marcus, finds Ismay exploring the perils and pitfalls of modern life with a true "poetic voice of extraordinary scope and vision."
Half Truth, the latest release from the band Ismay is a beautiful piece of introspective, intelligent, and immersive musical poetry. Lyricist and lead vocalist Avery Hellman leads us through a series of songs which supply wry and honest glimpses into modern living and all its perils and pitfalls.
Listening to their lyrics it should come as no surprise that Hellman has been an invited presenter at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Nevada. This album has all the depth and intelligence of a small book of poetry. Hellman's words don't so much as tell a story or depict scenarios, but involve us in the emotions and thoughts of a track's protagonist.
Musically, they cite Emmy Lou Harris and Lucinda Williams as influences (Hellman worked on a extensive project about Williams back in 2023 – Finding Lucinda – exploring that artist's work in an effort to rediscover themselves creatively) While they grew up surrounded by country music through hanging out at their grandfather's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and even stepping in to play with his band after his death, their music has its own very distinctive sound.
Listening to this album I'm most reminded of Harris' original bandmate – Graham Parsons – and his body of work. While Half Truth doesn't sound much like anything the Flying Burrito Brothers or The Byrds produced – or even any of Parson's solo work – the same sort of spirit of adventure and experimentation inhabit Hellman's work as coursed through Parson's songs.
Musically, Hellman moves from the quietly introspective sound of the opening, and title track, "Half Truth", with its carefully plucked melody backed by haunting steel guitar, to what can only be described at the fat sound of "The Let Down", with its close to funk underpinnings. Mixed in among this are also rock and roll, folk, and what I can only describe as rinky-dink retro, almost carnival music: "Shy Anne" – which sounds like they've used an electric organ salvaged from some 1970's living room.
The thing is, no matter the sound – even the aforementioned organ – it all works. The music and lyrics work beautifully together in all cases. I can't help but be impressed by the wonderful symbiosis of ideas and sound. How the sound complements the thoughts and emotions expressed by the words.
There's a false impression that poet musicians have to be guitar strumming individuals who sit on bar stools in a solo light on stage. I don't know where that image came from but nothing could be further from the truth. From Leonard Cohen onwards the poet musicians have employed full bands and multiple singers to create their music and Hellman is no exception.
Hellman writes about everything from the creative process - "Torture Either Way"; where they explore the dichotomy of wanting to have success and hating it at the same time (and when I got applause that I sought I got frailer/“please look away!”/but without flying flags of success/I’m a failure/it feels like torture either way'.) to the difficulty of answering the question of "how you doing" in the album's title track "Half Truth":"I know the line/I know the line that I draw around me/the words I let cross should just be quietly kind".
Are we really being kind or polite when we answer with the half-truths society expects of us? What would happen if the next time a receptionist or someone like that asked us "How are you"? and we said more than "Oh fine". Would the world break - would society collapse? While this lovely little song doesn't say that out loud - it certainly asks those questions on a personal level.
Half Truth from Avery Hellman's band Ismay is akin to a delightful volume of poetry. These aren't songs to be rushed through, or listened to casually. They are meant to be savoured and appreciated in all their glory. Each track is an experience onto itself and needs to be appreciated as such.
With this album Hellman has established themselves as a poetic voice of extraordinary scope and vision. From the diversity of musical styles to the quality of the ideas and emotions expressed in the lyrics, Half Truth is the album you didn't know you needed to listen to. Wonderful.
