Unsure about the origin or even the mythical existence of
the coined phrase ‘old punks turn country’, but it’s a good one and starts the
engine when referring to duo Hope in High Water. Not too sure whether ‘old’ is
the apt word to describe Josh Chandler Morris and Carly Slade, yet the sound they’ve
morphed into ploughs a traditional furrow. One certainty is that the past in
some form or another has strongly influenced their music, whether in redemptive
song writing or framing a vocal style. Perhaps country is a too narrow window
to open onto their music, although a fair proportion of the new material shared
this evening had a sad song twang about it. Folk and blues also play a
significant part as the wider roots world is captured in a subtle mix of
sincere originals and incisive covers.
A return to Birmingham’s Kitchen Garden was one of the last
stops on an inaugural headline tour for this Milton Keynes based couple. They
had previously supported Worry Dolls and a songwriter’s session at the venue. However,
they were the main songwriters on show this evening and revelled in the
opportunity to expand their set to over double the usual forty-five minutes. Bridged
only by the obligatory mid performance break, the songs fell into three
distinct camps: material off the NEVER SETTLE album, new unrecorded pieces and
a celebration of some of the finest work that has had a profound impact upon
them.
Hope and High Water present themselves as the classic duo. A
combination of shared duties in the vocal and song writing stakes, while a clear
instrumental demarcation. The guitar playing of Josh and Carly’s banjo (occasionally joined by u-bass) came
over as simple but effective, while providing the most satisfying of backdrops
to some infectious melodies and thought provoking lyrics. There is a distinct
contrast to their vocals, with a slightly bruised harshness to Josh’s, probably subject
to the battering taken in the past. This refinement is perfectly tuned for the
gruff Americana song and soaks up the intent. Carly has a far more expressive
versatile style. These differences lead to a required adjustment when heading
into close harmony territory and they increasingly blended really well as the
evening proceeded. Frequently, solo vocal pieces took over, with a no finer
example in the first half of the gig than Carly’s rendition of ‘She Cries’ from their album.
NEVER SETTLE came out the middle of last year to positive
reviews and tonight’s set featured inclusions such as ‘When Sorrow Calls’, ‘Who’s
Gonna Hold Your Hold’ and ‘Time Shall
Pass’. Like on the record, the latter opened proceedings and re-enforced comparisons
drawn to Shovels and Rope. The new material sounded superb, a little more on
the shadier country side, and should eventually surface once the usual
obstacles of an independent release are overcome.
Covers songs were inevitable to fill this expanded time, but
when you turn to the work of Justin Townes Earle, a winner is going to emerge.
They supported Justin on a Bristol date last year and their version of ‘Ain’t Waitin’ was probably the pick of
the bunch, marginally pipping Carly’s take on the song ‘Just a Closer Walk’ inspired by the Avett Brothers’ version. Josh’s
early schooling (pre-punk) in the blues was featured in the Elmore James song ‘Anna Lee’, while most in the room were suitably
acquainted with Leadbelly’s ‘In the Pines’.
A strong feature of Hope in High Water is the substantial depth to their musical approach. Emotive personal experiences play a large part, and a high degree of therapy is reaped. Back-story narrative is candidly displayed, but they are not too aloof to suggest that each and every one of us has an important one as well. They are clearly embedded in the soul of music and whatever inspired this calling is proving a wise path to follow. Most important they make music that greatly resonates with an expanding fan base, many of whom are deeply into the roots that form their sound.
Josh Chandler Morris and
Carly Slade have a valuable entity in Hope in High Water and a well of creative
endeavour to fuel a meaningful journey long into the future. The Kitchen Garden headline show of 2018 may well become a major staging post on this journey.