Hayden Calnin – ‘Cut Love Pt.1’ [Review]

With so much hectic intensity permeating TMMP of late, it’s time to bring things back down for a bit.
Hayden Calnin has been billed as Australia’s answer to Bon Iver – and the comparison certainly fits. Fans of Cinematic Orchestra will also find themselves immediately at home with Cut Love Pt.1; it’s a sweeping, widescreen journey through nostalgic ruminations and exquisite songcraft, taking in influence from everything from folk to electronica.
Cut Love Pt.1 is an album you can sit and just breathe to. Hayden Calnin’s arranging skills are top notch; every instrument, from piano to synths, vocoders to acoustic guitar, is given its rightful and perfect place in a heady mix. Production-wise, Cut Love Pt.1 is slick, but never plastic.
Hayden Calnin has come up with an album that works as an album; press Play and the whole thing will be over before you know it, leaving you both becalmed and a little bit heartbroken. That’s the mark of a great musician – the ability to elicit emotions that weren’t even present when you started listening to the music – and Hayden Calnin is without doubt a great musician.
Highlight-wise…the entire thing! Cut Love Pt.1 just isn’t a cherry-pickable album; cutting a piece away from the whole for inclusion in a separate playlist just feels inappropriate, somehow.
Honestly: Give Cut Love Pt.1 47 minutes of your time, and you’ll wonder where it went. I can also guarantee that you won’t regret the investment.
TMMP RATING: 90%
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For more info on Cut Love Pt.1 (and the upcoming Pt.2), head to Hayden Calnin’s official website.