We extoled the virtues of Cincinnati’s Hamlet—brainchild of singer, songwriter and guitarist Chris Wales—way back in 2025 after the release of the band’s Light Under Repair EP. Out October 11, The Breaking Point Is Grieving (Subjangle) is Hamlet’s ninth record (along with scattered singles and a three-song instrumental EP, Clearfall, released earlier this year that gives off a major Love Tractor vibe) but its first full-band longplayer. Well, mostly, as there are four tracks featuring Wales by his lonesome.
“I’ve been fortunate to have Jason Short’s drumming on a few prior releases, and then we got Dan Nolan and his bass playing in the fold for Light Under Repair,” says Wales. “I started writing songs for the album in December and worked up until around May or so. Jason was busy recording and mixing the new (Robert Pollard-led) U.S. Rip Van Winkle through a good part of spring, so it was nice to have a window to work on some ideas that essentially became vignettes on the new album.”
We’re proud to premiere “Borrowed Light” from The Breaking Point Is Grieving. Featuring Kate Wakefield (Lung) on cello, it’s a shining example of the jangly, catchy post-college rock (think that’ll catch on?) that Wales so expertly creates.
“I’m a big subscriber of the ‘melancholy but with hope’ songwriting ethos,” says Wales. “‘Borrowed Light’ applies here, to my ears at least.”
—Matt Hickey
