ALBUM REVIEW
Ian Hilmer's Stagefright - From Ourselves
By Tina Hopp
Back in September, I got my hands on the new studio project, From Ourselves from Ian Hilmer's Stagefright. I brought the disc back to my apartment to check it out. I wasn't more than a couple tracks into the album when I decided that something did not fit. I grabbed the CD and jumped in my truck. I slid From Ourselves into my truck's deck and headed for the back roads on a gorgeous fall day in southern MN. With the windows down and the radio up the stories of IHSF's "Blame it on the Weather" and "Working Shoes" took on a life of their own in the places that bred them – small town America. The heart of a blue-collar boy fused into the depth of acoustic and folk undertones with a jamband cleverness speak to the concept of From Ourselves.
I recently sat down with Ian Hilmer, frontman of Ian Hilmer's Stagefright to get some more details on the new album. Ian told me that the project is finally ready for its public release. He also told me this album has a light-hearted, "whimisical" feel to it but maintains the IHSF's lyric-driven tunes that people have come to know. He also shared the "concept" behind the songs selected for this project. Not only are the songs some of the band's most recognized but many of the songs also tell a piece of a greater story woven through the 18-song project. I found this interesting as IHSF's songs often speak of relatable experiences but to put together songs to tell a greater story made the album unique to other IHSF's albums. If you don't pick up on that bigger story you may have to ask the master lyricist, Ian, yourself. The retelling of the concept here wouldn't do the album's depth justice.
If you're familiar with IHSF you'll recognize the flavor of this project. Yet, if you've heard them live you'll hear some of the well-known favorites like "Impressed" and "Mountain" in a studio version. Some of those tracks, depending on your taste, are just as good if not better on this album. Special guests on some of the tracks include Bill Steiner of City Mouse fame, Paul Durenberger, and some exceptionally talented ladies providing background vocals. Ian explained that playing some of the songs live are a good test for a band material. And as the band's name suggests the talented musicians playing with him enhance the value and sound of the song as well as get Ian through his "stage fright."
Their live shows will consist of some of the songs you'll hear on From Ourselves with a blend of some covers from Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, or Tragically Hip. If you ask Ian he'd probably state that the songs of Stagefright have struck a chord with various fans. He mentions how people will come up to him after a show and tell him that one of the band's songs stuck with them for one reason or another. So, according to Ian, "people are listening," and for him that means he's doing something right.
From Ourselves is a solid album with notable tracks that are catchy like "Seaside", "Moonlight", and my personal favorite, "Impressed." And hearing IHSF live is worth the price of a cold beer with a few dozen of your closest friends if you want a memorable listening experience to enjoy the sounds of this new release.
--Reprinted from the February issue of Applauze Magazine
