HUM...

I’ve always been conflicted as to whether I should write something about Hum on here or not. I know back when I first started this blog I posted a YouTube video of them performing “I’d Like Your Hair Long” and kind of expressed my long time love for them. I figured doing an extensive post on the band would kind of be like beating a dead horse, since I think that their fan base has grown by quite a hefty sum since their demise right at the end of 2000. Anyway, I am bored enough tonight and really don’t feel like writing about anything else, so…I guess I’ll do my Hum post because in the end I just really fucking love this band.

Hum was originally a much different band than what most people came to know them as. Their first album Fillet Show, to be honest, wasn’t really that good. I can’t say that I listen to it all that much, if any at all. It really was almost a completely different band at that time. The lineup was also considerably different as well. The “classic” lineup didn’t necessarily come around until they released their second album Electra 2000. It featured an early display of what Hum’s sound would ultimately end up being, although still in a rough developmental phase. The spacey/science influenced lyrics were there and the sound was definitely coming along. Anyway, once they reached their second album and after a few personnel changes is when the band began to take off. They had from that point on Matt Talbott (vocals/guitar), Tim Lash (guitar), Jeff Dimpsey (bass), and Bryan St. Pere (drummer extraordinaire).

To say Hum’s sound was large would be a huge understatement. Hum had a sound that was enormous, gigantic, monolithic, gargantuan, or whatever other words are out there that mean “very very big”. When I first heard them when I was quite young I was blown away. I’d never really heard anything as loud and heavy as that but yet maintained such beautiful sweeping melodies. It was pulverizing enough to impress my friends that were into strictly metal and then catchy enough to be accepted by my casual alternative listening friends. It’s unfortunate though that not everyone felt that way when they were actually around. When they got signed and released their third album You’d Prefer an Astronaut they did have some success with their single “Stars”, which will occasionally still get a spin or two on some radio stations due it being one of those staple “90’s songs”. Despite that though, You’d Prefer an Astronaut was really the album that completely sold me on the band. The only beef I have with it is that you can’t really hear the drums as well as you should be able to due to the production being sort of muddy. It doesn’t really show how excellent of a drummer St. Pere is. The songs are amazing though and the album contains one of my all time favorite Hum songs, “Suicide Machine”.

Unfortunately the success of their previous effort didn’t carry over to what would be their last album Downward is Heavenward, which is arguably their best. I always have a tough time deciding upon this one or You’d Prefer an Astronaut. It’s really a toss up. One thing Downward is Heavenward has that the other doesn’t, is a much cleaner and crisp production that really allows Bryan St. Pere to put on a show when it comes to the drumming on this album. It probably is the better album as it excels in just about every possibly place it can. The albums opener “Isle of the Cheetah” is one of the songs I feel perfectly defines what Hum was all about, being able to make something so rocking sound so majestic at the same time. It’s a shame that they weren’t bigger during their actual existence, but something about that just makes me like them all that much more.

Electra 2000:
Hum – Shovel [MP3]
Hum – Diffuse [MP3]

You’d Prefer an Astronaut:
Hum – Suicide Machine [MP3]
Hum – I Hate it Too [MP3]

Downward is Heavenward:
Hum – Isle of the Cheetah [MP3]
Hum – Dreamboat [MP3]

Stars (UK Single):
Hum – Boy With Stick [MP3]

Puppets EP:
Hum – Aphids [MP3]
Hum – Puppets [MP3]

Thankfully all of Hum’s albums are still available over at Amazon, well excluding the first one. Do yourself a favor and pick them up. After the band broke up Matt Talbott went on to do Centaur, which have released one album to date and have a slight resemblance to Hum. Jeff Dimpsey went on to work on his project National Skyline and then eventually moved to Texas. Tim Lash released an album for his project Glifted. As far as I know Bryan St. Pere pretty much quit doing music as soon as Hum came to an end. Hum has reunited for a couple one off concert events over the years and fans remain hopeful that someday the band will record again.