Hawk in the Nest’s first full-length album arrives with the confidence of an artist who’s spent years sharpening his tools, and the generosity of a songwriter who wants every note to mean something. Avi Jacob steps into this project as a craftsman, pairing his lived-in voice with arrangements that shimmer, swell, and smoulder in all the right places. The result is a record that slides effortlessly between tenderness and fire, weaving modern emotional grit with vintage warmth.
Right from the opening moments, the band’s chemistry is undeniable. The production, steered by Wolfgang Zimmerman and Joel Hamilton, gives the album its heartbeat with warm drums, velvet bass, and textures dense enough to sink into. But what truly elevates the project is the palette of sound around Avi. Noah Jones’s piano playing flickers like candlelight in a quiet room, while Michael Quinn’s horn work bursts through with unmistakable flair. There’s a sense that this is a collective breathing together, an orchestra of personalities shaping one vision.
The album’s crown jewel ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ barrels forward with soulful energy; equal parts swagger and yearning. It’s Avi at his most immediate, riding a rhythm section that moves like it was built for sweaty summer nights and full-throated singalongs. Then there’s ‘Baby, baby, baby, baby’, which is hazy, aching, and so softly delivered it feels like a whispered confession. It glows with the dreamy quality of a late-night slow dance, the kind you never want to end.
Across the record, Avi’s songwriting channels the spiritual weight of the greats he’s clearly internalised, such as the quiet mysteries of Leonard Cohen, the poetic clarity of Paul Simon, and the soul-deep ache of Otis Redding. But nothing here feels derivative. Instead, he filters his influences through the lens of someone who’s lived, travelled, fallen apart, and rebuilt. His voice carries the gravel of experience and the gentleness of someone still reaching for grace.
This album also marks a moment of personal evolution. After years spent in folk rooms, DIY venues, and Americana circuits, Avi finally steps into a sound big enough to hold everything he has to say. There’s a mature confidence that lets the songs breathe and bloom on their own terms.
Hawk in the Nest is an artist honouring the past while carving his own road forward. It moves like a soul record, thinks like a folk album, and hits with the emotional punch of a confessional rock poet.