Kyle Hamlett never ceases to surprise me. His work as the primary songwriter in Lylas changed astronomically over the period of releases from 2003 to 2017. You’d expect any artist to grow and change over time but the first Lylas release to the last is a very different beast. His 2019 album Nowhere Far was released under the name “Kyle Hamlett Uno” – possibly a wry nod to the solo nature of the endeavor but also a clever way of signaling future collaborations. Since the release of that album he’s played various shows as Kyle Hamlett Duo, Kyle Hamlett Trio or Kyle Hamlett Quatro depending on how many collaborators joined him.
With “Expected Of“, he’s making the Kyle Hamlett Duo moniker official. The other in this particular case is Luke Schneider, Margo Price’s pedal steel player, a virtuoso ambient musician and easily Nashville’s most entrancing light show. The track is the first peek into a full-length album entitled Tape Diamonds set for release on August 26th, 2022 via Arrowhawk Records.
As with any lead single, it’s hard to project what the entire record will sound like but there’s a magical interplay between Hamlett’s contemplative baritone vocals and Schneider’s guitar work. There’s a feeling of rural folk music at the core of the track layered through elements that are more modern and often downright sweet.
We’re looking forward to the record release; not just for the promised cover The Smiths “Death of a Disco Dancer” but for a deeper peek into the collaborative efforts of two of Nashville’s finest.