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Jed & Lucia are an intriguing pair, he hailing from the rainy
Pacific Northwest, her a Swedish expat, who found one another
in the sun-dappled expanses of southern California. Despite
their divergent histories, they have managed to form a musical
relationship that is in complete consonance. It's unfair how well
manicured and agreeable their album Candles In
Daylight comes across. There's no struggle or anxious
creation-pains, simply a beautiful piece of music that listeners
will be immediately besotted by.
Candles In Daylight is a remarkable debut album
from two exceedingly talented singer-songwriters who have no
difficulty standing out in the crowded and often by-the-numbers
genre of acoustic folk. Each track is perfectly spaced and
metered, giving the album a calm, casual pace that allows the
subtle melodies and lyrical flourishes to really find their way
into the listener's consciousness. That they chose to retain their
individual identities rather than subsume themselves into some
artificial band or project is very telling; they exist as true
collaborators. The songs are conversations, perfect dialogues
where Jed & Lucia fuel one another's contribution. There's a
liveliness and sensuality to their interaction that helps elevate
their music above their peers.
The opening track, "World on Fire," appears as an invitation to
the pair's intimate little parlor performance. It's a light-touch,
the nimbly plucked guitars serving as a warm backdrop for Jed
& Lucia's wonderful vocals. They harmonize, falling into one
another's pauses with grace and feeling, initiating the smooth,
flowing current that will spill across the whole album.
"Can't Cage a Bird" is the first indication that Jed & Lucia are
interested in more than simple folk strumming, augmenting
their sound with tastefully designed gusts of electronic and
synthesized waves. These ephemeral touches are never
overbearing, merely breezing over the track's thickly
settled, quasi-trip-hop percussion. Lucia's singing emerges
here and into the next track, "Answers," where her strong,
breathy voice carries the whole arrangement. The pair finds
one another again on the bossa nova "Fish" and on "Just Like
a Boat," a sparse, beauteous demonstration of the power
and potential of meticulously detailed songwriting and
recording. It's a true eye-opener that deserves to find more
than a few sympathetic ears.
For fans of starry-eyed folk in the vein of Nick Drake or
delightfully effortless singer-songwriters with a twist,
Candles In Daylight won't disappoint. The
album is solid through and through, a relaxing surprise that
loosens the muscles and seems to trigger the same
endorphin release as a much-needed burst of sunlight. |
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