The Lovers - ​Halcyon Nights

The Lovers

​Halcyon Nights
​self-released; 2015

3.5 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

I have to admit that when I saw the cover art for Halcyon Nights by The Lovers who are a husband and wife duo I thought I was going to be greeted with cutesy pop songs. My assumptions were proved false once I heard the music. Charlotte Kavanagh (vocals/drums) and Alan Hill (guitar/bass) treat us to ten songs and apparently they describe them as baroque pop rock.

After spending some time with the album I thinks it's safe to categorize the songs as rock and pop. There isn’t anything that feels too experimental or avant-garde on this album. That being said the first song “Halcyon Nights” starts with a string section that gives the song a thematic feel. Once the rest of the instrumentation starts to unfold the song doesn’t sound far off from something you might hear on the radio. 

Once the chorus comes in you should be singing along. The vocal melody is catchy. Kavanagh sings, “The record plays our songs / So we all dance along / The moon it lights the way / Until the break of day.” 

I enjoyed the first song and the duo delivers with “The Garden” as well. Kavanagh certainly has a good voice and I have to say there is a seductive allure about her voice during the verse, which reminded me of Mazzy Star. “Head In The Clouds” is an upbeat, high-energy pop song while “Walls” features organ, warm guitar and a good vibe. “We Speak In Silence” is the most grand sounding song that reaches for great heights. She sings, “Eye to eye / A courtroom of fire / We’re just doing time / Chalking up lines until we’re done.” A highlight was “Midnight in the City” which has a slightly dark vibe with exceptional guitar picking. 

​Halcyon Nights is a very well produced album that is also quite cohesive. There is very little disparity between the quality of these songs and if you enjoy one you will most likely enjoy them all.

Become A Fan

Tweet