Sunday 6 October 2019

FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2019: Jacob & Drinkwater - This Old River


Released in February, this album is the debut release from songwriters and instrumentalists Tobias Ben Jacob & Lukas Drinkwater.
Both Musicians have been around the folk scene for quite some time now and have toured and played on each others albums together on many occasions over the years but have waited until now to release their first album as a duo. And an absolutely gorgeous thing it is too.

The exciting thing about 'Folk' in 2019 is the ability for it's solo performers especially to break out of the perceived shackles of the genre to join a ever increasing band of artists just known as singer/songwriters.

This album has certainly grown in my estimation over 2019. Tobias is the main songwriter on the project (it also contains one Traditional track) while Lukas is on hand to lend his instrumental skills on a variety of instruments to the sound.

Song Of The Sun

The album opens with the lovely Song Of The Sun which pretty much sums up the feel and sound of the album. It has echoes of those masters of harmony Simon & Garfunkel and this feel is shot through the album like a stick of English rock. It builds on the equally splendid solo album by Tobias last year called A Polyphonic Life, which is also worth your attention. The duo very much seasoned in each others company and musical ability.

It's very much an ENGLISH album, stories about England, references about English idiosyncrasies and places. A Pastoral feeling album.  It also has beautiful Love Songs such as Real Love and Imagined Letter #4.

Imagined Letter #4
 

It's very much an album of feeling and like many of this year's favourites of mine. deserves to be listened to through in one go. 



The duo have also released (separately to the album )a new John Elliott remix of one of the tracks, Higher Love, which adds some electronica and sends the track into a different place while still keeping the integrity of the track.

A Higher Love (John Elliott Remix)

Although overall it could be regarded as a reflective album, it isn't morose and ends on a positive message with It's Still A Beautiful World.




You can buy the album here




Twitter - @tobiasandlukas

Twitter - solo - @TobiasbenJacob
@LukasDrinkwater

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