I follow Joan Shelley on Bandcamp as I always liked her songwriting and voice.
After I listened for the second time online I decided to buy this great record.
Like The River Loves The Sea makes me feeling like I'm an active part of it. The listener is welcomed in many ways, compositions and arrangements and studio recording are masterful.
The 'voice' of all of it is not only speaking a mind-to-mind language, it goes deeper reaching the heart and the spirit.
Like my recalls of mountain spring waters, as clear as genuine in their humility, naturally flowing to the good.
I appreciate an album that doesn't influence my playing, that leaves only a gentle trace in my feelings like I'm there, meeting songwriter and muscians as naturally as it could and should always be.
The songwriting, compositions and arrangements let the musical tastes of the author and musicians shine through, sometimes recogninzing personal preferences that might be shared with people I'd never come to know in life. Or that's how it is pictured in my mind.
I find the lyrics balanced, like words from a woman that's living her life with a clear heart.
The opening Haven makes that that clear from the very first measures.
The second track Coming Down For You has a nice full round tones and I much enjoy the electric guitars when complementing the acoustics like that.
One of my favourites is Teal and The Fading and Cycle ...can't really decide on an album as this one is.
Did I already express appreciation for her lyrics...?
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