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Rating: New year, new life, as they say, so I am taking on the task of reviewing a “minor” album—though by no means any less interesting or enjoyable for that. His name is Lawrence Hammond, who, during the Summer of Love, was part of Mad River, one of the many groups blending psychedelia with folk. This is his first solo album, and the second would come, after many years of silence, in 2012.
Coyote’s Dream is an album that moves between ambient atmospheres, contemporary folk, and deeply evocative songwriting. Lawrence Hammond creates an intimate and contemplative sonic journey, in which the coyote becomes a symbol of freedom and the boundary between the real world and the dream dimension.
The compositions are characterized by slow, hypnotic rhythms, essential arrangements, and a measured use of instruments that leaves space for silence and emotional resonance. The melodies don’t seek immediate impact, but rather grow gradually, inviting the listener to attentive and almost meditative listening.
From an expressive point of view, the album conveys a strong connection to nature and landscape, evoking open spaces, desert nights, and atmospheres suspended in time. Hammond favors feeling over the traditional song structure, making Coyote’s Dream more of a sound experience than simply a collection of tracks.
Overall, Coyote’s Dream is a refined and consistent work, suitable for those who love introspective, narrative music, far from commercial logic. It’s an album that doesn’t impose itself, but accompanies, leaving a lingering echo even after the last listen.
The line-up features expert country session players such as Byron Berlin on violin and Bob Weir’s half-brother James Louis Parber on lead guitar.
Why review this fifty-year-old album? Because I believe it deserved a place on DeBaser.
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