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A Billion Rooms

by Low Country Hill

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1.
A BILLION ROOMS A lonely scientist Weighing, praying Over boiling dystopian stew Iconoclast atomic blast Of bile and denial What do you do when you can’t get through? Get through, through Wise ol’ globalized brat Chiding, biting Baby teeth with sequoia roots A rhino in tearoom chit-chat The flooding is coming To the party of sandbar fools The fools, fools A billion rooms, rooms The greeter with no one to greet Oh contact trace that open face An orchid with pandemic bloom The huggers would hug if they could Oh we need em just bleach em Send them out to a billion rooms A billion rooms, rooms A billion rooms, rooms A billion rooms, rooms
2.
COME ALONG TO ALGONQUIN Still wear the gown from the infirmary Street clothes still laid out uniformly Plastic cups and food trays of the wardroom taken home Sentimental for monochrome Still wear the wristband, still won’t change the gauze Bedsores are healed now, even relearned to walk Go back for a number in the triage line “Sir, you’re already discharged, your vitals are just right” When you got out, did you want back in? Seeking asylum in the regimen, in the regimen We have an idea: hop in let’s go for a ride Come along to Algonquin, the colours are in their prime Roll down the window, an old freedom will unfold Pull out the catheter, the prickly burrs in your soul When you got out, did you want back in? Seeking asylum in the regimen, in the regimen When you got out, did you want back in? Remember the highlands of Algonquin, Algonquin Of Algonquin, Algonquin Of Algonquin, Algonquin
3.
Failed State 04:22
FAILED STATE Fist fights, dim light in Eden Stale taste, failed state of Zen Dictator, tailgater The nightly pursuit Open window, armoured limo Strong arm coming for you Send in the thugs, plant the bugs But they don't need or want proof From the ground floor to the top drawer An all-out rooting through Fist fights, dim light in Eden Stale taste, failed state of Zen The cold sweat, what might come yet The blackout in plain view Shock and awe, martial law The dharma under curfew Fist fights, dim light in Eden Stale taste, failed state of Zen Is it too late? Is it too late? Failed state of Zen
4.
FELT BOARD JESUS In this basement I will make you fishers of men In this basement 1st John 1:9 again and again In this basement Singing out, “now that’s the book for me” In this basement Only good news from the library In this basement Stack unused curriculum In this basement We learn to cover the skin In this basement Sittin on stained second-hand furniture In this basement Twelve steps or more to the rebirth One floor below Questions we’re told to ask One floor below How long is this gonna last? And a felt board Jesus still down here Dangling speech bubble says, “all who are weary…” In this basement Upright kids, upright pianos In this basement Swear to God in monotone Down here Lost tapes still haven’t been found Down Here Burn burn, record-burning vows One floor below Questions no one can ask One floor below How long is this gonna last? And a felt board Jesus still down here Over in the corner saying, “all who are weary…you who are weary”
5.
Hymns Within 02:54
HYMNS WITHIN Kids of ministers are up to something sinister Yet they can’t help but hand out benedictions They skipped out on Sunday School to map out dreams of Istanbul But they’ll be back to put coins in the jar for the orphans Within within the hymns within Within the hymns the hymns within Took a pass on the sacrament not because they’re inadequate Saving bread and wine for another occasion Children of the clergy long forgot the liturgy Yet they still hum along to the hymns within Within within the hymns within Within the hymns the hymns within Sons of the preachers no longer warm the bleachers Growing rather weary of competitive sport Daughter of the reverend, left the mountain of evidence For beach glass and other mysteries in the sand Within within the hymns within Within the hymns the hymns within Within within the hymns within Within the hymns the hymns within Will ministers blow off the lid, raise some eyebrows with the kids? Consider lilies and graffiti and the hymns within
6.
KIND AND GENTLE ONE We’re losing a kind and gentle one again Seems every other week another old growth beauty is fallen A dear friend of the sidestreets, a midwife of the born again An artist in the alleyway, a chaplain of the dead ends We’re losing a kind and gentle one again Memory of a care package from your simple home in the countryside Would never reach the House of Lords, red carpets in the City of Lights No bouquets from the Vatican, the Nobel, the New York Times For sharing with the starlings, staying bedside through the night We’re losing a kind and gentle one again We’re losing a kind and gentle one again Cruelty on the marquis and clearcuts out of sight Your garden in the brownfield was planted just in time We need your feel for the delivery room, your unspoken it’ll be alright You leave your spare poetry, open table, undying invite We’re losing a kind and gentle one again We’re losing a kind and gentle one again We’re losing a kind and gentle one again We’re losing a kind and gentle one again
7.
Potable 05:00
POTABLE No really, we could’ve been devotees Of your enlightened renaissance charm After tight lines, rigid formations You strutted in smiling, unarmed Potable water has come Potable for some Honestly, oh we were so ready Lifting of the ban, sofas at the scrum After advisories, heavy-handed frisking You strutted in smiling, unarmed In line for your loaves without crumbs Potable water has come Potable for some But sincerity slips into sinkholes A staging of sandbags won’t stop the flood Our railway line twisted underwater A rusted and wilting autumn love In line for your loaves without crumbs Potable water has come Potable for some In line for your loaves without crumbs Potable water has come Potable for some In line for your loaves without crumbs Potable water has come Potable for some For some, for some Potable for some For some, for some
8.
SILENT RETREAT Just north of here, another knee on the neck One more under the radar, one more unchecked Arms locked in peace to really serve and protect In the face of the bullhorn, bulletproof puffed-out chest Just south of here, a blockade for respect If they don’t keep it up then floods of excrement Elevated levels of lead and arsenic Down river from affluence, the delta a mound of neglect What about here? What about right here? Single detached street on a silent retreat A little east of here, high high bridge decay Crumbling guardrails and piles above ravine and roadway The kids know the story, they don’t have to say Too broken for barriers, too little too late Just west of here, tents and tarps on the move again A ghost town overnight, no notice given Someone’s gonna get hurt this time, well beyond ignition Dignity in the dumpster, this is the city I live in So what about here? What about right here? Leafy neighbourhood, my bubble in the woods What about here? What about right here? Single detached street on a silent retreat Oh what about here? What about right here? Single detached street on a silent retreat
9.
Vigil For 05:09
VIGIL FOR Vigil for a vision of Vigil for a vision of The unencumbered, the noble outnumbered Plenary speaker, rosy believer The hall of famer, coyote tamer Vigil for a vision of Director’s genius, the prophet’s meekness The re-inventor, misfit defender Beloved politico, working-class hero Vigil for delusions of Forever bestsellers, steady Zen Masters Critical darlins, sheep in their sheepskin Seminal figures, revival singers Hats are upon the coat racks of Multiple nominees, a giant from Tennessee Beatified laureate, canonized conduit The humble holy see, the lowly wannabe Vigil for a vision of Vigil for a vision of A vision of A vision of
10.
YELLOW HIGHLIGHTER Yellow highlighter over red letter Underline in ink for extra measure Fortify in faux leather Holy heirloom dressed up for the weather Hide it under a bushel oh no Or in a Dead Sea cave No encryption no loopholes This is public domain Scrawl a chapter or verse In a club on a wall backstage If not all over the earth Customize a license plate Yellow highlighter over red letter Underline in ink for extra measure Fortify in faux leather Holy heirloom dressed up for the weather On a billboard with three lights In a field on a county line If even three cars pass by in the night Precious few get the way, the truth, the life Yellow highlighter over red letter Underline in ink for extra measure Fortify in faux leather Holy heirloom dressed up for the weather Yellow highlighter, red letter Yellow highlighter, red letter Yellow highlighter Yellow highlighter

credits

released November 17, 2023

All songs written by Paul Hogeterp
Produced by Dave King

Musicians:

Paul Hogeterp: vocals, acoustic guitar, violin
Dave King: drums, percussion
Patrick Sansone: electric guitars, bass, keyboards, mellotron, percussion, backing vocals
Enye Hogeterp: backing vocals on A Billion Rooms, Kind and Gentle One, Potable, Silent Retreat

Dave King plays Paiste cymbals and Headhunters sticks

Recorded at Catherine North Studios, A Cellar Full Of Noise, Sarah’s Place, Hamilton ON

Additional recording and production by Patrick Sansone at Tiny Door Studio, Nashville, TN, USA

Engineered by Wayne Cochrane, Emma Whale, and Oliver Presta

Mixed by Patrick Sansone and Dave King at Tiny Door Studio, Nashville, TN, USA

Mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering, Toronto, ON

Design and layout by Jamie Lawson

Photography by Stacia Vong-Hogeterp, Dave King and Wayne Cochrane

Vinyl by Precision Record Pressing


Gratitude:

Wouldn’t be here without “Let’s Make LCH 3” campaign backers, Dave King, Patrick Sansone, Wayne Cochrane, Noah Mintz, Emma Whale, Oliver Presta, Tristan Miller, Irene Johnston, and Georgie Fab (rest in peace, Georgie), Sheldon Norton, Mike Spicer, Sarah Truman, Bob Tees, Glenn MacDonald, The Canoodlers, Graham King, Dallas Walzak, Adam Bentley, Max Wallis, Joe Ollman, Jamie Lawson, Jimmy Hayes, Raf Michelli, Alan Judson, Peter Zantingh, Johan DeZoete, Lea Joseph, Winona Hogeterp, Enye Hogeterp, Mom, Stacia Vong-Hogeterp - blessed to share life with you

Dedicated to Winona and Enye. So proud and lucky to be your Dad

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Low Country Hill Hamilton, Ontario

Low Country Hill is Hamilton-based singer-songwriter Paul Hogeterp.

Low Country Hill "evoke(s) comparisons to such stalwarts as Hey Rosetta and Bon Iver, but yet really does not sound particularly like either. The tracks stand on their own as testaments to superlative songwriting and an album produced to showcase haunting, beautiful music." (Floor Shime Zipper Boots) ... more

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