A Hawk And A Hacksaw is an album recorded by Jeremy Barnes in Saumur, France, using a chicken, some geese, gongs, cats, a duck, spoons, pieces of tin and various melodic instruments. It’s the result of sitting in the sun by the Loire reading Cervantes.

Recalling Kurt Weill’s orchestrations, Carl Stalling’s visionary cartoon soundtracks and Tom Waits’ more whimsical works, Mr Barnes creates a playfully gothic atmosphere with his multi-layered, frantic compositions. Mixing field recordings with accordion, piano and bursts of drunken choruses, he generates a singular and unnerving orchestral whole. A song’s direction can hinge on a dog’s bark or a phone ringing, while cacophony and sweet hymn-like harmonies cohabit in entertainingly unexpected passages.

Limited edition vinyl LP (1,000 copies) – BAY 35V

CD – BAY 35CD

BAY 35E