Hammock, an ambient instrumental project consisting of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson, released their record Kenotic in 2004. Marc Byrd is a familiar name in Christian music, co-writing the hit "God of Wonders" for the City on a Hill project and forming Glassbyrd with his wife Christine. Fans of the band Common Children may also recognize both names, since Byrd and Thompson were previously bandmates with the Christian rock outfit.

With this project however, Byrd and Thompson take a step back from their rock background and do something completely different. Pieced together and recorded in a basement studio over a period of two and a half years, Kenotic's sixteen instrumental tracks blend together to produce a very atmospheric and ethereal record. Lush soundscapes abound on Kenotic; each track is built upon layers of textured guitars and carried along by relaxed tempos. Occasional flourishes of electronica and even some background vocals are neatly woven into the arrangements, making this album an auditory delight to listen to.

Despite the painstaking attention to detail poured into every track, the ambient nature of this project makes it hard to focus on the songs individually, but rather on the project as a whole. And while it's true that the songs blend together a little too seamlessly for their own good, there are a few songs that stand out. The Sigur ros-like "The Air Between Us" is an early highlight, while "Wish" and "What Heaven Allows" both sound like they were lifted straight out of Radiohead's Kid A era - each song featuring tasteful programming, driving synths, and eerie vocals.

Overall, this project is a very interesting listen. The neatly detailed arrangements Hammock invests into each track allow this project to just wash over you sonically. While a bit tedious due to its length (it's hard to keep an album's momentum going for 70 minutes without getting boring), Kenotic still manages to engage the listener due to its sheer beauty. As side projects go, Hammock is an incredibly bold and ambitious venture for Byrd and Thompson, and Kenotic is the first step in what should be a very creative and interesting career.

- Review date: 2/28/05, written by Sherwin Frias