Despite a short musical catalogue dating back only to 2020, composed of her debut record ‘Liquid Dream’ and follow-up singles ‘Avoidance’ and ‘Princess on the Moon’, Hammer’s trademark has become her orchestral sound and aptitude to lean into the sublime.
Enchantingly dramatic strings open ‘Dreams’, a fitting introduction for a song that delves into the very depths of a nightmarish heartbreak, and an unsurprising one given Hammer’s theatre background. Hammer’s vocals swiftly overlap the ethereal soundscape, with the mysterious lyrics: “I had a dream, but I stayed awake / It's not like it seems / I didn't do what it takes”. Gripping, bleak, and strikingly real, Hammer’s lyricism demands attention from the offset – an impressive attribute for a performer so early on in their musicianship.
A track bringing five years of craft behind it, the singer’s latest cut was borne out of rejection and heartbreak. “‘Dreams’ was written during a time when I was mourning the rejection of someone that had become the embodiment of everything I had ever wanted in life,” Zoé shared. Fearless and vulnerable all at once, the track goes on to embody a sense of introspection and growth that many mid-twenty-somethings will find solace in: “Did I use you for a leap? / Now I’m sober in a bar / Waiting for you / But I’m swaying with these strangers / And they have no clue.”
With Hammer’s second album on the way, ‘Dreams’ offers an optimistic glimpse into what we can expect to see from the singer’s dreamlike vocal range and experimentalism as we break into the new year.
Ruby Brown
Image: Oleksandra Tsapko
If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider buying us a coffee. The money from this pot goes towards the ever-increasing yearly costs of running and hosting the site, and our "Writer Of The Month" cash prize.