Chicago-based indie sensation Tim Hort makes waves yet again with his hauntingly beautiful new release, “Famine”. With this album, Tim Hort delivers his most
introspective and musically daring project to date; a record that is not only meant to be heard, but to be felt as a holistic musical experience.
1. July Island
2. Dissolve
3. From the End of the Earth
4. Chain and Sky
5. 491
6. Seems Right
7. Spires in the House
Released in late July, Famine is a seven-track suite that fuses alt-rock elements with shoegaze ambience and expressive lyrics. This album is an incredibly thought out collection that creates a lush, deliberate world of sound that flows like a memory; fractured, fading, and deeply human.
“July Island” is an interesting opener for the record, as it takes a more traditional alt-rock style that isn’t really representative of the rest of the album. Consider it a taste of what Hort can do outside his comfort zone, or maybe a n upbeat track to build the atmosphere for what’s to follow. With its layered textures and patient pacing, it’s clear Hort isn’t chasing trends on this album: each song feels like a small, weathered room you walk into: full of soft light, and the kind of silence that says more than words.
Shoegaze often leans into abstraction, but Famine uses it to bring an emotional clarity that’s pretty unique for the genre. Tracks like “Dissolve” hold a fragile weight, with guitars replete with delay and distortion. with lyrical restraint. As the album progresses, nothing here is rushed, with Hort trusting the listener to linger.
There’s a lot of experimentation going on with this album, with “The End of the Earth” swapping out the guitars and opting to be heavily piano-driven. “Chain and Sky” starts slow with a more traditional shoegaze sound and intensifies into a heavier track resembling an alt-rock staple.
Even the interlude, “491,” plays a vital role. Clocking in at just over a minute, it feels like a breath held between two emotional chapters. The sequencing throughout is masterful with the collection never feeling like a set of singles stitched together, but a singular arc shaped by grief, grace, and quiet resolve.
Famine might be Tim Hort’s quietest album, but it’s also his loudest statement yet. A meditation on what it means to endure, to reflect, and to create with care. This record places him among the rare artists who understand that silence, when handled with precision, can be the loudest sound of all.
This is music for late-night drives and long internal monologues. It doesn’t beg for attention; it earns it.
ONLINE:
https://timhort.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tim.hort.5/
https://open.spotify.com/album/1kjCTqYSdTgyIdYEncve8R?si=XQxrgrE5TPWajH43RcT1SA
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCmECwdZ91ibw7oHZbvYPA