Hankshaw

Every Day I Wish You Harm (Jade Tree)
by Tim Den

This pisses me off. Just when an amazing band comes along, they put out a four-song… make that three song (the fourth song is just a cover of Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”) EP that leaves you unsatiated. I want more!! Hankshaw‘s crisp, lemonade-sounding emo songs are so sensually invigorating, so painfully enjoyable to listen to, that I wish the CD didn’t end after 10 minutes. I caught them live a while ago with Elliott, and they were mesmerizing. And the singer’s stage presence just made the show that much better. One thing that’s a bit odd though… the lyrics seem to be blatantly sinister. Repeating “I wish you would die” over and over again isn’t exactly sensitive material. I guess it adds a nice and unexpected twist. Fans of Texas Is The Reason, Elliott, and other harder emo bands will love this. And you won’t believe the singer is male.
(2310 Kennwynn Rd Wilmington, DE 19810)