Humprhey/McKeown - Tapestry of Shadows (2017)

Written by Bradley Johnson, posted by Jason

OFFICIAL: www.hm-music.com

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/HumphreyMcKeown

Lightning doesn’t always strike. The world is full of songwriters who, despite discernible talents, never find the right collaborators or creative circumstance to fully express their artistic desires. More often than not, generations of original musicians and otherwise come and go without any leaving a lasting mark beyond audience memories. When two songwriters find each other and strike up a productive creative partnership, the effect is noticeable. The sum becomes greater than the value of its parts and things reach a place unavailable to them individually. Heather Humphrey and Tom McKeown met in the early years of the century and quickly struck up a songwriting team who pitched material to a variety of performers in a wide array of styles. They soon chafed having to subvert their own musical ambitions to the demands of the marketplace in such a way and opted, instead, for recording their songs together as a duo. The latest release from the tandem, Tapestry of Shadows, is a full length studio effort ranking among their finest and proof of the abiding chemistry they established long ago.

They definitely write and record in an Americana vein, but there’s the compactness of pop songwriting imposed over their vision and it makes for an excellent match. It is a fortunate twist of fate that Humphrey and McKeown’s voice strike up such obvious chemistry – they confidently ride the numerous peaks and valleys of the song’s trajectory without ever betraying an obvious misstep. Some of the album’s other material is just as mine, but a little more retro minded. “Better Day” has some of the same pop leanings as we heard on the opener, but they are more muted here in favor of a bluesier approach. The duo’s words are on point throughout and “Better Day” is one of the more effective examples of how they refine longstanding themes with their own style. The light lilt of “Someday” sets up another lyrical instrumental turn but the vocal arrangement is equally melodic. Understatement, once again, is key.

The singers’ duet over some scattered flashes of violin and delicately wrought acoustic guitar work throughout the entirety of “Sasha on the Carousel”. The vocal melody is among the album’s finest and difficult to soon forget. “Passing Shadows” has a surprisingly hard charging snap thanks to its percussion and quickly builds a tremendous amount of barely restrained energy. The duo structures “You and I” around some more string instruments and, primarily, some beautifully evocative piano work. The gut wrenching exchange between Humphrey and McKeown on this track comes at an excellent place in the album’s running order and leaves a mark. There’s a number of songs included on Tapestry of Shadows that certainly lives up to the melancholy implied in its title, but the clouds musically break on the finale “Sunshine Today”. The effect is never crass however. There’s a genuine sense of hope emerging from this final song. It ends the album on a much appreciated note and rounds out listeners’ possible experiences in hearing this.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars