Review Summary: One of the most honest, beautiful folk albums of the last few years.
A short and charming, oftentimes mesmerizing experience is found in "The Willow & The Builder".
This is an album which addresses beautifully themes which would normally be considered common-place in music. Melancholy songs of heartbreak are turned into beautiful, charismatic soundscapes with clever lyrics drenched in the soft and soothing voices of Adrian Simon and Richard Miron. A notably fantastic aspect of this album is the amazing chemistry between the two men. Both have soft and youthful vocals which add a really happy, calming atmosphere to the album. Each song, mostly the closer 'Cut it Down' work well to paint a vast landscape of snow and mountains as viewed from the warmth of a small cabin.
Many of the melodies here seem to play out like something straight out of a disney film. This is mostly apparent in the soaring, gorgeous track 'A Vast Emptiness' which is the shortest, and one of the most memorable songs here.
There is a perfect balance here of fast, catchy and upbeat folk-rock songs and slow, somber pieces. With this in mind, The Willow & The Builder stays rather interesting throughout its 27 minute duration. Each song is catchy, each song is lyrically impressive, and honestly as a whole, it never gets old. The compositions here are vast and dense. Woodwind instruments, string instruments, pianos, acoustic and electric guitars; given the story behind this album's recording, this is rather impressive.
The Willow & The Builder is an album which will stand with high praise in my music collection. It's a must have for fans of indie and folk music, plus it's free, so there's really no excuse to not listen to it.
