My first thoughts after hearing the first minute of The August Magnificent was “if they can keep this up for the whole CD, it’ll be a cracker”. Opening cut ‘The Peaceful Sleep of Death’ builds and sweeps and dives, and is a beautiful song. ‘Down In The Valley’ is tender, with Gabrielle Huber’s vocal giving it a sense of innocence. The lament felt in ‘Chasing Hearts’ is palpable, engaging and with gorgeous harmonies. It is interesting to see that the press release focuses on the songs which have a distinct folk feel. For me, it is when they step away from folk and become adventurous that they really succeed.
By Kevin Bull
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