CATHY HAMER – LADY FULL OF DREAMS.

dereksmusicblog ♦ July 29, 2026 ♦ Leave a comment

Cathy Hamer – Lady Full Of Dreams.

Label: Numero Group.

Format: Vinyl.

Over the last few years, Numero Group have unearthed a plethora of hidden gens. They’ve done it again, and have rediscovered one of the most exciting discoveries of recent years, Cathy Hamer’s ‘Lady Full Of Dreams.’ It’s a stunning album.

‘Lady Full Of Dreams’ was recorded at sessions during 1979 and 1980 at Threshold Recordings. This was a  custom bluegrass studio hidden in Roanoke, Virginia. Sadly, the eleven songs recorded never made it past the test-pressing phase. They were ghosts of the “me decade’s” fading hippie hangover, completely lost to time until now. 

Belatedly, music lovers have the opportunity to hear ‘Lady Full Of Dreams.’ Quite simply, the album is an absolute revelation. It occupies a gorgeous, sun-dappled space right at the intersection of Laurel Canyon folk warmth, soft-rock polish and has a elements of femme-folk, cosmic American music and even  a breezy Caribbean-tinged sound. It’s heartbreaking that ‘Lady Full of Dreams’ lay unheard since 1980.

Let’s dig deeper into ‘Lady Full Of Dreams,’ Hamer’s long-lost musical masterpiece.

The title track opens the record with a declaration of intent. Built around a beautifully fluid acoustic guitar progression, Hamer’s voice immediately stands out. It’s is delicate, elegiac, impeccable, and echoes the phrasing of early Joni Mitchell. There is an unmistakable late-sixties optimism here, even as the eighties loom on the horizon. The production introduces a gentle, rolling rhythm that feels like driving down a winding coastal highway. It is a stunning opener that sets a high-water mark for the rest of the album.

On ‘The Hurt Is Still There’ it’s a case of don’t let the melancholy title fool you; Hamer possesses a sanguine charm that refuses to let the gloom take over. While the lyrics dive into the lingering aches of a fractured relationship, the musical arrangement carries a soft, country-soul lilt. A subtle pedal steel or slide guitar element weaves through the background, cushioning the blow of the lyrics. It’s a masterclass in contrasting heavy emotional weight with a soothing melodic framework.

‘I’m Missing You’ leans heavily into the private-press singer-songwriter aesthetic. It’s incredibly intimate, and is almost like sitting in a living room in Roanoke while Hamer delivers a soul-baring vocal. Every breathtakingly beautiful nuance is captured. There’s a simplicity to the recording. It sounds unhurried and there some of the most intricate fingerpicking on the entire album. Quite simply this oft-overlooked track is one of the highlights of ‘Lady Full of Dreams.’ 

On ‘Confusion Blues,’ Hamer moves through the gears, injecting a degree of playfulness into the album.  It’s a breezy, acoustic jazz-folk hybrid, and  showcases Hamer’s versatility as a guitarist. She utilises her  jazzy chord shapes and a swinging cadence, ensuring the album’s pace is dynamic and engaging.

‘December Dreaming’ is, without doubt, a standout centre-piece of the album. It seems the musical landscape move from the sun-kissed California coast to a colder, more reflective Appalachian winter. The melody is hauntingly beautiful, driven by a melancholy chord progression that captures the isolation and quiet beauty of the winter months. Hamer’s vocal performance here is among her most evocative, carrying a shivering vulnerability.

B-Side.

‘When I Fall in Love’  is an incredibly introspective ballad. It explores the terrifying and exhilarating stakes of emotional vulnerability. The arrangement is sparse, letting Hamer’s pristine vocals occupy the absolute centre of the mix. Fans of Judee Sill. Linda Perhacs or Vashti Bunyan will enjoy and admire the quiet, reverent space this song creates.

It’s all change on ‘Hypnotise.’ The album beads in the direction of yacht rock. It’s a smooth, slick seventies sound that’s timeless. However, there’s a rhythmic sophistication to the track. This is a welcome reminder of the slicker studio trends of the eighties. The groove is tight, the acoustic guitar is crisp, and the vocal harmonies create a warm, enveloping wall of sound. This is fitting given the song’s title.

‘Promises’ brings back a cosmic Americana flavour to the album. The song features a rolling, country-rock tempo that wouldn’t feel out of place on one of Emmylou Harris early albums. It is a song about expectations and letdowns, and the lyrics are delivered with a mature, clear-eyed perspective. This highlights Hamer’s strength as a lyricist and vocalist.

‘Untalkable Thoughts’ is, easily, the most avant-garde title on ‘Lady Full Of Dreams.’ It also delivers one of its most emotionally direct experiences. The song tackles the frustration of being unable to articulate profound feelings to someone you love. The melody twists and turns unpredictably, mirroring the internal knot of thoughts Hamer is attempting to unravel. It’s a stunning, soul-baring and memorable song that lingers long in the memory.

‘Loving At the Feeling’ is a beautiful genre-melting track that’s tucked away late on the album. It’s well worth the wait. Hamer fuses her trademark folk sound with a soulful groove. The song feels effortless as it flows and floats elegantly and effortlessly on a bed of warm acoustic strumming and a laid-back bassline. This penultimate track, finds this hidden gem on an album winding down, and continues to reveal ‘Lady Full Of Dreams’’ emotional arcs with a sense of peaceful resolution and contentment.

Jackson Browne closes ‘Lady Full Of Dreams.’ It’s best descried as a literal and figurative nod to one of the era’s definitive songwriters. The songs captures the similar type of wistful, poetic melancholy that Browne himself championed in the late seventies. In doing so, it serves as a beautiful time capsule of a a young songwriter in Virginia processing her world through the lens of the musical giants of her time. 

As the final notes of ‘Lady Full Of Dreams’ fade, one can’t help wondering how this oft-overlooked and hidden gem of an album remained locked in a vault for neigh on  half a century. The album should’ve been the start of a long and illustrious career for Hamer. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.

However, somewhat belatedly Numero Group’s reissue of ‘Lady Full Of Dreams’ allows the  wider record buying album to discover a truly timeless and flawless album. It’s music to behold.

The eleven tracks on ‘Lady Full Of Dreams’ veer between beautiful, cinematic, elegiac, emotive and exhilarating to haunting, melancholy and wistful. Other times they’re soul-baring and thought-provoking. Always the songs are engaging. That’s the case throughout as Hamer moves seamlessly between musical genres. 

There’s everything from cosmic Americana, country, femme-folk,  jazz, Hamer’s trademark folk plus elements of soul and even a diversion via seventies yacht rock on  Lady Full Of Dreams.’ It’s a flawless hidden gem that for many music fans, and is a holy grail discovery for fans of femme-folk, private-press treasures and cosmic American music. I’ll go further. ’Lady Full Of Dreams’ is one of the reissues of 2026 so far. Cathy Hamer’s lost classic is a timeless reminder of how music used to sound, and belongs in the collections of anyone who loves and appreciates good music.

Lady Full Of Dreams.