The Sea is My Brother

The fourth studio album from Devon folk duo David Harbottle and Freya Jonas is a concept album about the sea. Its 11 tracks span the gamut of seafaring subject matter – from jolly Jack Tars to shipwreck tragedies. Such a focus is fitting for a duo based in the creative hub of Totnes, in south-west England, where the smell of salt spray and all things nautical are never far away.

They make a lovely sound. Harbottle plays acoustic guitar and banjo, while Jonas plays harmonium and concertina. They share the vocal duties, and are often at their best when their voices meld in harmony together. What really makes the sound on this album is the addition of a string section (Mark Nesbitt on violin, Jude Wright on cello and mandolin and Daniel Cleave on double bass and mandola), plus trumpeter Andy Tyner and throbbing drums from Adam Brackley.

But while the sound is swelling and often hypnotic, the whole feels less substantial. The songwriting is thin or clichéd and somehow lacks the depth for the weighty subject matter. Most crucially, they fall into that James Taylor trap – everything sounds so lovely that you don't believe you are really listening to the last dirge of a dying man.