The Transatlantic folk duo of David Berkeley and Ben Parker are set to release their highly anticipated sophomore album tomorrow. I honestly hadn’t known them before a couple of weeks ago when I got emailed about this release, but since then have become a big fan. Their sound and writing style is so unique, hooking me in from my very first listen. I got the chance to interview the pair about the release, and it has only gotten me more hyped for it. Almost all of it has been dropped as singles over the last couple of years, but I am incredibly interested to hear how it all fits together as a release. Without further ado, let’s dive right into this, shall we?
‘Gods’ starts the release off incredibly, with a beautiful piano melody. The strings building in behind it gradually add another fantastic layer, immediately taking the listener on a journey. And then, after a bit, some incredible choir vocals add to it, the layering being utterly phenomenal. It’s feels like it crescendos around the two minute mark, dropping back to the piano and this time a guitar, the layers building back up masterfully for the tracks conclusion. Honestly, it gave me goosebumps and immediately drew emotion out of me. I’m not sure if that’s because we typically don’t cover this sort of style, but I was wrapped up and washed away in the album immediately from this track alone. It’s the perfect way to set up an album like this. Beautiful, well put together, and full of emotion.
The beautiful vibes continue excellent with ‘How to Build a Boat’. The acoustic guitar chord progression setting things up perfectly, and the harmonised vocals coming in over the top of it sounded amazing. The layering of the vocals is incredible too, with the main hook continuing on while a verse line comes in over the top. It keeps its catchy edge and fits together like two jigsaw pieces. The vocals join together again for the massive chorus, it being just as catchy as the other part, a melody sure to be stuck in my head for days to come! The strings once again coming in for the chorus is amazing too, adding just another layer of greatness on top of the rest. It all combines together perfectly to make something truly epic and grandiose, and I loved every second of it. This is a massive early highlight, and a track that very easily makes our playlist!
The simple acoustic-and-vocal combo continues perfectly through the opening of ‘Wild Winds’. It sounds gorgeous, and the lyrics here are phenomenal, packed full of feeling and emotion and being such good storytelling. And just adding that second vocal on for the chorus was a great call, making it feel bigger while still keeping that simplicity and feel. The rest of the instrumentation doesn’t come in until the bridge, feeling more than earned as the percussion and horns come in, adding to everything fantastically. When the multi-layers vocals came in over it all it once again gave me goosebumps. And, just as quickly as they came in, they were gone again, dropping back to the simple guitar and vocals. This is yet another phenomenal track, and one that I’ll definitely be revisiting plenty! What a first quarter of the album!
‘The Lion’s Paw’ and ‘Whalebone’ both start in a similar way to ‘…Winds’, stripped back to just one instrument and vocals. Both build up similarly to the previous track too, reaching grand levels of instrumentation by the mid-point. However, the latter does feel a little different, the almost haunting vocals in the opening and bridge giving it a vaguely ritualistic feel. It also has one of the biggest, gradualist builds of the album, it reaching huge heights by the end. It’s a true testament to the duo’s songwriting and producing skill, and sounds absolutely brilliant. The heightening pace of the guitar is also amazing, giving it a real sense of urgency building more and more. It’s yet another high point of the album for me, on an album so far jam packed with them. DAMN.
We then reach a run of the album’s recent singles, ‘The Rocky Shores of England’, ‘Antarctica’ and ‘Sirens’. The former was my introduction to the band and has remained a mainstay of my music listening for the last few weeks now. It’s yet another perfectly encapsulates what the band is about and their style, and was a fantastic choice for a lead single. It also has some of the best lyrics on the album, truly touching. Meanwhile, the latter is a quirky, female-vocal-featuring track that I’ve already gushed about plenty. However, it’s a track I have listened to a few times, and is entrancingly beautiful. Then you have ‘Antarctica’, and what another incredible highlight! Starting low, it builds steadily into something truly special by the end. It’s an uplifting track from a lyrical standpoint, and the instrumentation reflects that perfectly. It was another goosebump-inducing track, and is honestly incredible. The multiple-vocals were so powerful. I’d arguably have closed the album with it, it’s that grandiose. But yeah, check this out ASAP, it’s maybe my favourite track on the album!
The final few tracks, from ‘New Orleans’ to ‘Ghosts’, are all amazing tracks in their own right. They follow a similar structure and vibe as the others on the album, so didn’t want to repeat myself over and over, but know that they are all great and worth spinning. I especially love the simple instrumental closer, it bringing the album full circle perfectly: I love that the album is bookended by its two title tracks. The duo take the listener on such a journey, and really don’t let you go until the end. It is well worth listening through the album in full at least once, as you really get to appreciate each track in its entirety and how they fit into one another!
Overall: This is an absolutely fantastic release! I’d expected to like it heading in, but wasn’t expecting to be blown away quite this much! Every track is great, while some I am legitimately obsessed with! And it all flows together so perfectly, too. The pair are amazing songwriters, and have crafted something so beautiful and special with this release. From the vocals to the lyrics to the arrangements, it’s all incredible. It won’t be for everyone, but if you have made it this far you must be at least a little interested, and I can’t recommend checking this out enough!
The Score: 9/10
P.S. shoutout to the cover art, which is truly stunning!