Tunes Review: Giant Hand—Starting as People

Grade: A

Giant Hand, a.k.a. Kirk Ramsay, has a story for the ages. Just two months after picking up a guitar, he performed live in the basement of a record store. Before much time had passed, he found himself playing his third gig at the renowned Ottawa Blues Festival. Now, he is keeping his incredible momentum with the release of his six-track EP titled Starting as People on March 15.

The EP claims to fall into the genre of “other” and it couldn’t be more accurate. Giant Hand crafts a nostalgic and emotional sound with the impeccable use of reverb and echo on each track. Starting As People is able to evoke an extremely wide variety of emotion. Tracks like “Sinister Little Row” pour feelings of unrest into the hearts of the listener. However, Ramsay is able to turn the tone around with the opening track “Starting As People II,” a sincere love song to both a lover and Canada.

Giant Hand ties several styles together to create an authentically Canadian sound. The haunting echoes, appreciation of nature and cold desperation in his voice really depict the nature of the country.

The Ottawa native will be embarking on an Ontario and Quebec release tour for the EP. It truly is a shame that Ramsay only has three tour dates, as this masterpiece needs to be shared across the country. Giant Hand is an extremely dynamic musician with many different sounds. Parts of the album may remind you of artists such as Neil Young, Frightened Rabbit, Glen Hansard, and even The Weakerthans.

This album is a dish best served with a rainy day and a large cup of tea to keep you warm.