Jacob & Drinkwater – This Old River
Jacob & Drinkwater - This Old River
Release Date: Out Now
Devonshire musicians Tobias
Drinkwater and Lukas Jacob have been at the forefront of the regions burgeoning
folk scene for a while now as individual artists and as a duo. ‘This Old River’
provides a great example of their progression for long term fans but also an
excellent gateway for those new to their music so switch off the phone, hang up
the ‘do-not-disturb’ sign and let’s give this one a spin.
The album opens with ‘Song of the
Sun’ and immediately you get a sense of the mellow and gentle world that Jacob
& Drinkwater inhabit with rolling acoustic notes, gentle rhythm and softly
perfect vocal harmonies. ‘This Old River’ moves on to some story telling of
days gone by as if giving voice to the river and all the things it has seen as
the waters roll on, gently unstoppable, like the piano notes rippling throughout
the melody. On ‘Real Love’ there is a slightly more mainstream feel and you
could imagine this being performed on a Radio 2 live show by the likes of Ed
Sheeran or James Bay but that shouldn’t detract from the genuine and tender
emotion that is coursing through the veins of this one.
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| Jacob & Drinkwater |
By the time we reach ‘There’s a
Shadow on the Sun’, there’s a very definite sense of a duo pushing the edges of
the folk genre in different directions with traditional and modern folk already
covered, this one takes a more Prog-Folk approach with the mystical vibe in the
melody. ‘Nottamun Town’ is the only song on the album that borrows from the
past (the late medieval past to be precise) via Fairport Convention but it
doesn’t seem out of place at all. The mood takes a definite upturn on ‘Imagined
Letter #4’ as the pair describe London city life through the eyes of country
dwellers with hope in the music and the lyrics. ‘Higher Love’ has a mournful,
regret strewn tone to it that draws you in while ‘Iridescent Light’ has that
daybreak energy that makes you want to dust yourself down and tackle the day
head on.
The home straight of the album
begins with ‘Polaroid’, a song that is sepia toned and dusty but full of
memories that are unleashed when the dust is blown off after finding it between
the pages of an old book; it’s a beautiful moment in time. Closing this
collection out is ‘It’s Still a Beautiful World’ which is probably going on my
‘watch the world burn’ apocalypse playlist to drink my last whisky to. Jacob
and Drinkwater are a rare and gentle talent who, I have no doubt, would provide
a captivating and enthralling experience as well but this album is a great
place to start. Go on, treat yourself.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/jacobanddrinkwater
Live Dates:
12th May – Laurel Canyon Music Anniversary,
London (Afternoon)
18th May – Trinity Folk Festival, Guildford
9th June – The Methodist Church, Wimborne
6th July – Holy Trinity Church, Cookham
14th July – Rhythmtree Festival, Isle of Wight
7th August – Sidmouth Folk Festival, Sidmouth