A cracking debut EP showcasing folky Americana with impassioned vocals and an English slant.
Samantha Shields has a superb voice which moves from the fragility of the multi-layered vocal harmonies of the meandering folky ‘Old Time Blues’ to the impassioned tones of single ‘You’re Not Alone’. All supported by acoustic guitars and brushed drums. Subtle and evocative. Daniel Ryan’s vocals are understated, but acting as an effective counterpoint to the swirling emotions in Shields’ voice.
‘Daily Life’ takes a decidedly more folk-rock shift picking up from their Laurel Canyon influences to convey the feelings of isolation that can exist even within a crowded urban setting; possibly perversely amplified by the chaos. Finally, on the ‘Visions of Albion’ EP, we return to the fragile ‘All That I Know’ which, with a nod to ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale‘, draws out the loneliness and emptiness of the vocals with strings creating a sense of finality that gradually builds to something more akin to defiance. It’s stirring stuff.
The Liverpool-based duo met studying music with a shared interest in creating music that straddles the interface between folk and Americana, but with a definite English slant, possibly influenced by William Blake. If this debut is an indication of what might come later then there is potentially something special here.
