Good Water
North 28, 2021
8/10
The Juno Award winners Leahy return after a 10 year hiatus with Good Water, where their atypical folk approach now hosts electric guitar and accordion, which only adds more appeal to their lush and rich formula.
“Good Water (With Prelude)” starts the listen with angelic, soaring, wordless vocals, as programming, keys and guitars help cultivate a pop, folk and classically influenced setting, and “Tears” follows with upbeat and powerful song craft that’s not short on melodies amid its wise lyricism.
At the halfway point, the piano driven “Friend” offers a swift and beautifully layered album highlight that makes great use of mandolin, while “Star Of The Sea” is the most obvious Celtic tune that’s fueled by an accordion and brings 4 minutes instrumental prowess. “Falling”, another noteworthy track, then pairs guitars with the expressive and intimate vocals on a bare, impactful, and perfectly crafted ballad.
Further still, “My Old Man” leads with mysterious atmosphere before settling into poetic piano territory, and “Good Water (Radio Edit)” exits the listen with a shorter version of the opening track that’s no less impressive, just more concise in its progressive folk climate.
Although Leahy may have seen most of their commercial success in the late ‘90s, there’s no question that their current work is just as luminous and borrows from classical, Celtic, folk, pop and roots ideas with much attention to detail, not to mention a flawless execution. Let’s just hope it isn’t another decade before another batch of tunes arrives.
Travels well with: Seamus Egan- Early Bright; Moira Smiley- Unzip The Horizon