...And folk you too.
New folk is currently all the rage. From the stylings of Jose Gonzales to the flashy guitaring of Newton Faulkner, it's everywhere. But what those two albeit talented singers lack is the feel of the folk, the ability to tell tales that sounds like they have been around forever. For that we have to go back a little further. James Hara is bound to be lumped in with this breed of modern folk. But this really isn't all that fair, especially because 'Take Us The Foxes' encapsulates what acoustic music should be so deftly that it becomes canny and, moreover, it contains some of the most considered and well put together songs that I have heard in a long long time. There's nothing wrong with the previously mentioned duo, but they simply haven't got a patch on this guy.
Musical comparisons are the unfortunate but unavoidable foil of any reviewer so here's my clanger, save for the style of the singing, 'Take Us The Foxes' sounds a lot like Nick Drake would under modern production techniques. I am aware that this sounds like hyperbolic nonsense, but I swear that it's true. Drake's voice can never be replaced or bettered, but James Hara comes close. And his finger picked acoustic guitar sounds like its lifted from Drake's Pink Moon album, been given a dose of pure happiness and sent straight into a modern recording studio.
The album is not perfect, but whereas imperfections normally make for annoyances, 'Take Us The Foxes' faults add nothing but charm. Hints lie in the mix that there were times where the guitar was sat too close the the microphone or the singing could have been better in a take or two, but to change these things would take away the essence of this magical, enchanting album. From the opening seconds of 'Nothing New', through the beauty of 'The Light' right up to 'The Time That I Let Up' you feel that you have been treated to something that is often offered but seldom given; one man baring his soul and sharing his life with great, lasting effect.
'Take Us The Foxes' deserves so much to be heard by the masses, but to do so may destroy what is good and, dare I say, pure about it. It comes with a very high recommendation for those that love their softer, more thoughtful music and for those that simply love a good song, skillfully written and realised. If you want something disposable then look away now, because you might just ruin the wonder that is sure to delight the appreciative. It is not an album that you choose, it chooses you. And if it does then you are very lucky indeed.