Albion, Harp, LP

Tim Smith, former singer and principal songwriter of Texan legends Midlake, is joined by his wife, Kathi Zung to form Harp. The road to Albion might have been long and winding, and bumpy to boot, but the music Harp has created is steeped in sublime melody, mood, drama and detail. These ten songs and two mood-matching instrumentals framed by a mesh of acoustic/electric guitars, soft shades of keyboards and Smith's gorgeous voice are the quintessence of what drew people to his work with Midlake in the first place. But Albion has starker, darker hues than Smith is typically renowned for. These are songs about the human condition, from love - both lost and found - to faith, anxiety to joy, fear to acceptance, all couched in a highly distinct poetic language.