Hem - Funnel Cloud

I imagine Hem singing at a state fair. It’s dusk. It’s warm. There’s a ferris wheel in the distance. They’re playing under a big colored tent, playing around hay bails that people are sitting on, eating snow cones and salted pretzels, taking a reprieve from the carnival. New Yorkers, Hem, who recently released a collection of covers, rarities, outtakes, demos, and live recordings (No Word from Tom), do good with Funnel Cloud, strengthening their musicianship, song crafting, and, undoubtedly, their fan base. Why? Sally Ellyson can sing. No, she’s not belting out the torch songs, but she lights up songs from the inside out, like a candle in a hurricane lamp, illuminating the musicians around her. Folk songs, Americana, country-tinged, they’re all within the album, and Ellyson’s delicate clear voice makes you want to go to the state fair and, while listening to Hem, eat a corn dog. [www.rabbitsongs.com]