I guess you could call Hum a one-hit-wonder band. “Stars” was a moderate hit in the mid-90s, and then a bunch of people briefly remembered the song when it was in some car commercial years later. And that’s about it. Shortly after releasing 1998’s Downward is Heavenward album, the band broke up and went their own ways to have lives, raise kids, own bars, etc. And from then on out, telling someone that you’re a Hum fan was usually met with a blank stare.
But the story of Hum radically understates how important this band was, both to the rock music scene and to me personally. Hum debuted in 1993 with their album Electra 2000. It’s brash, loud, raucous, and a raw recording. It’s still a great listen today, but I think most Hum fans agree that Electra 2000 was just hinting at what would come next.
In 1995, Hum released You’d Prefer An Astronaut, which is one of my all-time favorite albums from any band. Propelled by the success of “Stars”, this era brought Hum their greatest level of notoriety. Matt Talbott and Tim Lash, the guitarists, were featured on a 120 Minutes interview on MTV, and made a splash for showing up in a chicken costume and a bunny costume, respectively. Hey, it was the 90s, that was wild and crazy!
YPAA is perfect. The opening notes of “Little Dipper” introduce the album, and really, the essence of Hum. Fuzzed out guitars, dreamy vocals, insistent drums; it’s shoegaze for people who want to rock. Then comes “The Pod”, an energetic rocker that transitions into a smooth acoustic vamp at the end. “Stars” comes next, with its catchy and wistful vocals, and an absolutely punishing riff in the middle section. I’ll refrain from commenting on each YPAA song, because this’ll get out of hand quickly. Just give it a listen, and if you’re looking for a good song for your next workout, check out “I’d Like Your Hair Long”.
Things were looking good for Hum. In 1998, they released Downward is Heavenward, which is another masterpiece. A bit more energetic than the last album, DIH features electric drumming, lively riffs, and dynamic bass. There are still quiet moments, like the hauntingly-beautiful “Apollo”. But DIH is mostly a celebration of everything that was good about late 90s rock. Sadly, album sales were disappointing, the record label dropped the band, and then they got in a car accident while touring in Canada. This confluence of events signaled the end of the band, and although individual members occasionally surfaced with solo work, Hum was no longer.
In the 2000s, Hum would occasionally resurface to play a one-off show or two. This always rekindled hopes among fans, but then nothing more would happen. Just when it seemed that the band had reached the end of the road, 2015 happened. That year featured a co-headlining tour with Hum, Mineral, and the always-excellent Failure. Moreover, the band started making multiple public comments about a possible new Hum album (!!!).
And then, as usual, nothing happened. Years went by, with occasional album chatter, but nothing substantive. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to think. I was worried that a new album wouldn’t live up to expectations, and would sully the band’s reputation. Part of me wondered if they were better off leaving well enough alone, given the underground following that had developed over the years. As a good friend once said to me, “Low expectations are the second-best thing you can bring into a musical experience with you.”
One week ago today, Hum posted the following online: “Hum is happy to announce the release of our new album, Inlet.” WHAT?!? There had been generic talk of working on it, but nothing had been announced or finalized and then all of a sudden, here it is.
I’m happy (and relieved) to say that Inlet earns its place on the shelf next to the other Hum albums. This is a beast of an album. From the very opening punches of “Waves”, this album is dense, layered, and harmonic. The guitars are front-and-center, which serves the songs well. Talbott’s guitar sounds are massive, and they provide the muscle of these songs. Tim Lash, the other guitarist, is a standout with his textural work. If you like 70s era Black Sabbath, or Alice In Chains from any era, check out “The Summoning”. These songs are long (4 of the 8 are longer than 8 minutes), but they never drag. “Into the Den”, “Desert Rambler” and “Step Into You” provide catchy sludginess that defines the first half of the album. These songs are all best when played at volumes that your mother would not approve of.
Inlet’s finest moments come in the last three songs. “Cloud City” is a lesson in how to write a catchy song in 6/8 time, and Talbott’s lyrics are especially evocative here. “Folding” comes next, a classic-sounding Hum song that devolves into a dreamy soundscape that pulls the album in a completely different direction. And then we finally reach “Shapeshifter”, the album’s closer and a knockout song. The lyrics are profoundly sad, the guitars wash over you, and the drumming is some of the best on the album. I feel like I’m not on this planet when listening to that song, until you get whisked back by the closing lyrics and dreamy guitar outro:
Suddenly me just back here on the land
Reaching for you and finding your hand
End of album. It takes me a minute to recover each time.
Hum is so interesting to me. They were never a big commercial success, and yet they were hugely influential on bands that came after them. (Next time you listen to the Deftones, keep in mind that they are huge fans of Hum; you’ll hear it in the music immediately.) Hum’s fingerprints are all over modern rock, but no one really sounds like them. Any other opinions aside, Inlet was a great reminder of how unique Hum’s approach to music is. They heavily downtune their guitars. Talbott always sounds like he’s staring at his feet while singing. They sing about loneliness and science and axolotls.
For me personally, Inlet has been a big relief. Partly musically, because I’m happy that Inlet contributes positively to Hum’s legacy. But moreover, the world sucks right now. There is a global pandemic, widespread inequality and civil unrest, police brutality, a contentious political environment, a crashing economy, job uncertainty, and a lot of Arizona is literally on fire right now. It’s a lot to think about. But for the past week, I’ve been able to escape now and then with some new tunes from a favorite band.
And I like the feeling that they’ve reached back for me and found my hand.