Harbottle & Jonas - Saving The Good Stuff (Vol 
1)
Release Date: Out Now
Devon duo Harbottle & Jonas are firmly lodged in my heart now as their reliably beautiful and earthy folk songs woven with hearty vocal harmonies always manage to catch my attention and affection. Their new album, 'Saving the Good Stuff (Vol 1)', is eight tracks of delicately assembled folk that will get you in the right mood for Spring and all the new beginnings that come with this time of year. Starting off with 'Wild Mountain Thyme', the simple acoustic notes mixed with a soothing violin and those gorgeous harmonies will make your shoulders ease, your mind clear and your breathing slow down. 'Water' continues the themes of simple beauty and soothing energy but is imbued with a rippling, undulating energy that speaks of babbling brooks and freshly melted snow making its way down towards the sea.
As is the wont of Harbottle & Jonas, there is a foray in to more traditional sounding songs as they take on the the 1920s composition 'Now The Green Blade Riseth' which sounds simultaneously like a lost recording and brilliantly contemporary when the drums kick in. Another feature of H&J songs is the focus on seafaring and 'Mingulay Boat Song' which is dripping in Gaelic melodies and Scottish spirit as the slow but persistent rhythm mirrors the slow pull of oars as fishermen make their final return to shore. It is brilliantly stirring stuff.
On 'Motherland' the duo pare things down a bit without losing any of the gravitas or the power that these songs seem to effortlessly display as the sumptuously swelling strings and soft vocals touch your heart strings. In an unexpected but oh-so-welcome twist, a piano and vocal cover of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' appears next and displays the brilliant power and emotion of Freya Jonas' vocal performance as the sparse piano melody rattles away in a corner of the room.
Penultimate track 'Our Town' lift the mood melodically despite it being a song about saying goodbye and I'm sure Iris DeMent would thoroughly approve of this version of her song. The album closes with the modern Cornish anthem, 'Cornwall My Home', which I am not afraid to admit brought a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye. I'm not Cornish but I've lived here for over a decade now and it's the kind of place that gets under your skin and in to your heart so hearing those soft vocal harmonies and mentions of famous landmarks gives me a moment of real connection. Whether the songs are their own, traditional compositions or modern classics, Harbottle & Jonas have the talent and soul to put their own stamp on it so I'll keep them lodged firmly in my heart because it does me good and it will do you good too if you just let them in.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/HarbottleandJonas
Live Dates:
14th February - Folk @ The Corner, Surbiton
2nd April - Twickfolk, Twickenham
6th April - The Old Stables, Cricklade
21st April - Downend Folk Club, Bristol
29th April - Millbrook Folk Club, Cornwall
31st May - Dorking Folk Club, Dorking
2nd June - Bigbury Village Hall, Devon
7th July - New Forest Folk Festival
13th August - Dartmoor Folk Festival, Devon
26th August - Between the Trees Festival, Wales
27th October - The Temperance, Leamington
28th October - The Place, Bedford
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