The Darning Hearts - Older

​The Darning Hearts

Older
self-released; 2016

4.0 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

I have to admit there have been a lot of husband and wife duos in the last couple of years that have made me want to jump off the Sears tower. A lot of these acts sing poppy love songs about how in love they are. Gross. Who wants to hear about how in love you are besides other couples who are in love. 

The Darning Hearts comprised of Dylan James  and Natasha Edelweiss are a breath of fresh air when it comes to husband and wife duos. Try and follow me here. If Dylan James  and Natasha Edelweiss were Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel James would be Simon and Edelweiss would be Garfunkel. James plays the guitar, sings and writes the songs and Edelweiss sings. Also like Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel they sound great together. 

Their release Older is an exploration of acoustic music that veers from bluegrass to folk to gypsy jazz. The instrumentation is minimal with a bass occasionally making an appearance alongside the guitar. Older sounds connected and cohesive despite some stylistic jumps.

Up first is “What Can I Say” which has a classic traditional feel which goes way back. The guitar work isn't far off from Django Reinhardt style jazz chords. It’s a wonderful song that feels warm and pure. Catchy, hopeful and leaves you feeling good. 

The old traditional music with sparks of jazz and folk continues with “Eleven Miles High.” Edelweiss is the lead on this song as James occasionally provides harmonies. The old time jazz guitar work is fantastic. 

I heard a bit of Tom Waits voice on the fast picking “Lonesome Bones” while “Coyote Song” is a clear highlight with some of the best vocal harmonies on the album. The band continues with some exceptional songs. “Suicidal Squirrel” which is a great name stuck out to me. They close with “After You've Gone” which was a personal favorite. Lyrically, the song is quite sad but the music gets to be downright jovial towards the second half.

​Older is a great album from beginning to end. Don't miss this one.

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