Young Waters

Young Waters are led by singer, songwriter and guitarist Theo Passington with a trio of string players – violin, viola and double bass – and fellow singer Kerry Ann Jangle, whose harmonies with Passington on the likes of ‘Bleary Eyed’ is one of the pleasures of their eponymous debut.

Their inspirations range from the psych-folk of The Incredible String Band to composers such as John Taverner, Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass, and the ISB influence is clearly there on the opener, ‘Dust’, while it's more in the delicacies of the instrumentation that the contemporary classical composers' influence is felt. There are some supple instrumental passages and accompaniments to the songs, while Kerry Ann Jangle provides the album's finest vocal on the traditional song ‘Polly Vaughan’, sung unaccompanied until Passington joins her on the second verse for some thrilling harmonies. It is a dark and fateful song, and there's a melancholy poetry to Passington's own lyrics, though it's lightened by their delivery and brightened on tracks such as ‘Weary Soul’ by lively fiddle and pumping acoustic guitar. Its viola and fiddle play-out is reminiscent of Dave Swarbrick-era Fairport Convention, the kind of playing that has made Young Waters a cross-genre draw at festivals including Glastonbury, Cambridge and Boomtown.