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Review: 'Hope In High Water'
'Bonfire & Pine'   

-  Label: 'Fish Records'
-  Genre: 'Alt/Country' -  Release Date: '8.11.19.'-  Catalogue No: 'FR01'

Our Rating:
This is Hope In High Waters second album and as I've once again been to this countries biggest bonfire at Brockham I'm about ready to listen to this again even if I'm not sure how many of the Bonfire Boys and Girls this would appeal too I'm sure some of them would like it.

The album opens with the slow and measured Healed that has them searching in the dark for a little redemption and healing from the traumas life throws at them this is a quite laid back country sound a bit like Stray Birds (who they have supported) but with Josh Chandler Morris fully emotional vocals..

It's Over Now has vocals from Carly Slade who is all woebegone sounding and impassioned about the end of the abuse suffered in childhood and moving on from it as she tries to get over it played in almost waltz time it feels quite old timey.

Bonfire & Pine is the first duet it's very slow and almost like they are sitting round a bonfire in the woods entertaining themselves late at night and getting gloomy doing it, heartfelt and ridden with pain hopefully they will get some relief from the fire.

Pray Away is thankfully not about praying away the gay but about telling someone they can pray away there day if they want too as whatever helps is all good. Alone has an English traditional folk song feel to it carefully picked with some nice harmonies.

Here Lies is a song full of the things that have happened and need to be buried that make Carly feel as sad as she does the heartbreak and the dreams that have crashed before her perfect for when you're feeling down.

The song Grenfell is a very touching telling of the story of one woman who died in that tragedy who only found out the block was on fire from a friend who called her to ask if she was safe and stayed on the line until her friend had died. I know how shocked I was on pulling the blinds up that morning and seeing the smoke billowing just a mile or so from here and the awful smell of death that hung in the air this song is a beautiful eulogy to the loss and pain caused by that totally preventable tragedy while quite rightly having a go at the systemic problems that caused it.

Pull Apart The Pieces is slow barely there strummed banjo and like much of this album sounds like it is perfect for late night rumination while sipping some whisky. Escaped Lions And Empty Oceans picks up the tempo a bit and compared to the album so far feels a bit more upbeat musically if not lyrically as Carly is still tormented by her demons.

Taken Too Much Pride has Josh telling us about the things that pride has got in the away of over some cool careful percussion and almost Spanish guitar. Stronger Than You Know is as sparse as anything on this fairly sparse album as Carly really lays her feelings out as an act of redemption I hope and then the band fully come in to lead her towards that light at the end of the tunnel.

Then the album closes with Something Unnamed which is a rather beautiful slow rumination with Carly harmonising I'm guessing with herself and I hope she doesn't fall apart a rather sad and yet hopeful end to a rather lovely and downbeat country album

Find out more at www.hopeinhighwater.com of www.fishrecords.co.uk

  author: simonovitch

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