“27°C” by Hammer Head Shark – album thoughts

To say Hammer Head Shark have been one of my favorite bands of the last few years would probably be an understatement. I made it a point to see them in Japan, I drove 25+ hours to see them play 3 shows on a tour of Canada. I start with that because yeah I am a little biased. But today, 27°C, their debut record is out, and I feel justified in my bias after hearing Hammer Head Shark fully realize these songs that made me a fan in the first place, within the context of a truly incredible record.

Hammer Head Shark is the project of Hiyu Nagai, guitarist, singer, and chief songwriter for the band, Haruhiko Fukuma, drummer, Asahi Gotoh, bassist, and Eita Fujimoto, support guitarist. The band draws influence from all over, 90’s Alternative, shoegaze, folk, and so much more. They’ve cited bands like Ride and Big Thief among their influences. And it’s easy to draw comparisons to Kinoko Teikoku, heck, that’s how they were introduced to me, and the band was formed when Fukuma really liked a Kinoko Teikoku cover Nagai shared with him. Nagai even plays a black telecaster with black pickguard, complete with knobs ripped off, just like Chiaki Sato. But, my long-standing stance is to avoid comparisons like that, they typically do bands a disservice. And Hammer Head Shark draw from each influence in a unique way, that this record shows that they are not “the next Kinoko Teikoku”, but they are blazing their own path as the first Hammer Head Shark.

above: My photos from Hammer Head Shark’s sets at Next Music From Tokyo

27°C kicks off with the gorgeous “call my name”, and you just know it’s something special. Some beautiful, simple guitar work paired with Nagai’s voice invites the listener right into the universe of Hammer Head Shark. In the past, that’s exactly what Nagai has said she’s set out to do with her music, to “create a world for listeners to enter into”. Fukuma then added – “I want our music to feel like we’re sinking into the sea together”, clarifying, “Not the kind that pulls you out, the kind we listen and sink into together”. And much like Fukuma describes, and like the nature of a shark, once it sinks its teeth into you, 27°C refuses to let go.

The second track on the record is a re-recorded version of a song that long took hold of me, “Blurred Summer”, and the differences between the earlier version and this one are immense. Guitar leads thunder throughout, it’s a much more complete sound, that at times feels raw, and at other times it’s this overwhelming, immense wall of sound, that just reverberates through every part of your being. Mixed in is the new track “a . to . the . la . ru”, the record’s lead single, a 90’s inspired alt-rocker. Other songs that saw a renewal on the record include “Dummy Flower”, which takes on an entirely new life on 27°C. Starting with pristine acoustic guitar, it takes even more of a folky tone, and Nagai’s vocal performance may be her best. That’s followed up by the also re-recorded “Lakeside Goodbye”, which doesn’t stray too far from what made the original such a jawdropper, and builds on its already brilliant chorus, guitar solos, and Nagai’s incredibly powerful performance, from mere whisper to full on belt within moments of each other.

Then the record turns to a new track, “Daisy”, whose name might leave listeners completely unprepared. This is as heavy as Hammer Head Shark gets, a 90’s-alt rock infused jam, with some killer leads, including some palm muted guitar work, and some of the record’s best drumming. As the listener’s eardrums recover from the final notes of “Daisy” ringing out, we hit what may be my favorite Hammer Head Shark song, “Gummi”. It’s a delicate track, at times Nagai’s voice sounds like it’s going to be overwhelmed by the gentle guitar playing – a huge contrast from her just screaming over the previous track. But there’s no more powerful moment on the record than Nagai repeating “I hope you get better”. Tracks like this can be confessional, they can be an outlet for anger, and at times “Gummi” is, but Nagai turns it back on herself with a “yasashiku naritai”. “I wish I could be kinder”. This realization comes over this incredible build spearheaded by Goto’s bass guitar.

Hammer Head Shark also kind of have a reputation of inconsistent translation of their song names, and we run into that here, in English, the official title for the 8th track on the album is “blue hour” – but in Japanese it’s “しんだことになりたい”, or, “I Want To Die” … and that’s a pretty big difference. What isn’t ambiguous, however, is how great this track is. It showcases Nagai’s range, at times her voice sounds like it’s about to break from emotion. At other times it’s a soothing background sound to chiming guitar, and at other times the lyrics are flying at the listener at a rapid pace that it’s hard to keep up. The next track is another one with a titling question, in English, it’s “fruits bone”, but in Japanese it’s “綺麗な骨”, “beautiful bones”. I honestly love the latter – and it has a sound to match. Oh and that moment when guitar slices through for a moment before Nagai’s “woooaaahs” ring clear, incredible, incredible stuff.

Speaking of Nagai’s voice breaking – the simply titled “Song” (which is accurately translated) – is a showstopper. Mostly Nagai on acoustic, on an album full of vulnerable moments, this is her at her most vulnerable. When she stops singing, a gentle wave of guitar eases us into the penultimate track, “Garden”. I’ve always subscribe to the idea that the penultimate track of a record is its most important. It ties everything together before sending us on our way, and that’s exactly what we get with “Garden”. It’s a little bit of everything that makes 27°C a great record. Its quiet moments always feel like there’s something waiting to erupt from underneath, and when it does, it’s among the biggest moments of the record. Even its final moments feel like a farewell, with a guitar solo, intense drumming, and Nagai belting out a big woah before it all yields to just Nagai and acoustic again.

The record then concludes with a re-recording of “Embrace”, and honestly, it’s a great choice for a closer. A great, off-kilter guitar lead that truly helps define the unique sound of Hammer Head Shark. There’s a point that channels what I believe to be one of the greatest album closers of all time, “Only in Dreams” by Weezer. A moment where things fade, and it’s just Goto’s bass, followed by Nagai’s voice, then everyone else joins in. Then Nagai leaves us with a beautiful combination of words – according to the English translation of their demo CD, “No one can take away what we want; Any more meaning will be in the story.“

So yeah, 27°C rules and I don’t think it’s just because I’m an unapologetic fanboy of this band at this point. It’s a diverse, interesting and inviting album from start to finish, and a capsule of a band thats poised to make a lot more noise in the future. It’s one hell of a debut record, and one that’s foolish to ignore.

Listen to 27°C

Connect with Hammer Head Shark:
band x / insta
Hiyu Nagai (Vocals, guitar) x / insta
Haruhiko Fukuma (Drums) x / insta
Asahi Goto (bass) x / insta
Eita Fujimoto (support guitar) x / insta

Hammer Head Shark will also embark on a tour in Japan to celebrate the release of the record. Support acts include fellow NMFT16 performers サバノオミソニー(Sabanoomisony), as well as fuzz-gazers 溶けない名前 (tokenainamae) and the pristine sounds of 揺れるは幽霊 (yureruwayurei). Schedule and tickets are on Ticket Pia.