8/10

Avi Jacob has always been a songwriter who bleeds on the page, but his first full-length under the banner of Hawk in the Nest feels like the moment the world finally gets the full technicolour version of what he’s capable of. This record arrives glowing with brass, rhythm, and a lived-in warmth that threads its way through every note.

Where earlier releases leaned folkward, this new chapter stretches its wings across an entire landscape of sound. Horns swell like they’ve been waiting years to speak, keys flutter with gospel-laced grace, and Jacob’s voice feels more fearless, weathered, and ready than ever.

Across the album, Jacob channels the emotional richness of songwriting greats without ever feeling derivative. What stands out most is how much life there is in these songs. Working with an ensemble of collaborators who understand the assignment down to the marrow, he’s crafted a record that feels as communal as it is personal.

But beneath the orchestration and the immaculate arrangements, the beating heart of this project is Jacob himself, an artist who has navigated cities, scenes, grief, fatherhood, and the long climb of building a musical identity on his own terms.

His self-titled debut LP is a threshold moment. A reminder that soul, in all its forms, thrives when it’s driven by truth rather than nostalgia. Avi Jacob has made the kind of record that feels like it has grown wings throughout, and it proves that some artists were always meant to ascend.