Wax Moon bring together a delightful and mature folk-laden sound that soothes the soul on new album Hello Morning.
Indie-folk duo Wax Moon (Paul Kimball and John Blatchford) really know how to write a well-structured song. Their debut album Hello Morning is a testament to this, drawing on their years of writing together to build a settled yet impactful sound held together by impressive harmonies.
Selt-titled album track Hello Morning starts the record with warm and inviting acoustic guitar playfully plucking before Kimball and Blatchford’s perfectly suited vocals combine in the most wonderful of ways. It takes a lot of time and skill to get vocals to feel so naturally synced, and all the time and effort is on full display here. The lyrics lead you forward in a lovely way, and you can’t help but just relax and take in the vivid imagery created: “Hello morning, through the window, hello rays, golden sun, I am waiting for the clearing so the truth can now be known.”
Montana follows with a country-tinged sound that plays on dual guitar work and more layered vocals, reminding of Simon and Garfunkle in the way the track is set out and paced. Mountain Girl continues in the same vein, going even deeper into an Americana sound that chops and flows with intermittent fiddle providing that extra layer needed to help it stand out.
As we delve further into the record, the talent of the two musicians is displayed in even more intricate detail and you realise just how skilled the duo are at songwriting. The beautifully titled Feather From a Gun gently flows in a seductive way with just laid back acoustic guitar leading it forward and vivid imagery building a picture of love and hardship: “Clouds race between horizons, trawlers crawl beyond the dark, she thinks about the sunrise, a steady leaking of light”. In Control adds subtle yet intriguing string sections to the mix with perhaps one of the most addictive rhythms on the record, Kimball and Blatchford once again allowing their vocals to dance around each other in playful dexterity.
The record ends with I Wanna Believe You and Keep On Walking, the former one of the more produced tracks on the record featuring an ominous drum beat and settled synths providing the base, whereas the latter strips it all back once again to provide a pretty little ditty that gradually builds and comes alive as the track progresses.
Hello Morning from Wax Moon is a wonderfully put-together folk album that draws on the warmth and strength of the vocal performances. Kimball and Blatchford really know how to write songs that seep into the mind and will stay there for a good while.
Score: 4/5
Leave a comment