Rating: 7/10
Time to take an album off my 2018 back burner while it’s still manageable and not out of control like the back burner of 2017. And first on the list is the latest album from Irish folk duo The lost Brothers, (Oisin Leech and Mark McCausland(, known as Halfway Towards a Healing. The title track of this record made our January playlist, and I’ve also done a reflection on them in the past, but finding words for this album has proven to be difficult.
This is primarily because it’s one of those nice, pleasant listens, very much a mood record. It’s definitely a good album, and the songwriting is strong throughout most of it, but what really holds your attention is the atmosphere surrounding it. Songs like the opener, “Echoes in the Wind,” really capture the peaceful, introspective thing this album was going for. It’s going to be an album a lot of people enjoy just for how relaxing it is; those that love the more polished, stripped back stuff like Sam Outlaw or the Secret Sisters will gravitate toward this. And speaking of the Secret Sisters, the harmonies throughout this are just excellent, definitely another highlight of this record. It’s almost like listening to a modern-day Simon and Garfunkel. All that said, you’ve still got to be in a certain mood to really appreciate this album.
Even still, compared to some of their earlier material, there is more variety in tempo and mood here. The excellent Spanish style instrumental “Rains of Ruin,” paired with the title track which also carries this Spanish flair and speaks about a Spanish church, comprise the most interesting moments of the album musically. The title track also serves to provide some much-needed energy on the album. “Come Tomorrow” stands out a bit on this record as well, as the percussion here really adds some life; this is the third track, and after two introspective, acoustic numbers, some life was certainly in order. It’s also nice to hear textures like the horns happily contributing on “Where the Shadows Go” to make this song fuller. On an album mostly reliant upon acoustic guitar and their flawless harmonies to carry the weight, subtle things like this can really make a difference, and these little nuances serve to add character to this project. Thank you, Lost Brothers, for adding yourselves to the ranks of independent artists actually taking the time to care about your production and instrumentation as much as your lyrics.
The same strengths of this album, however, are also going to be its weaknesses. Some people will find it too slow or sleepy or boring, in varying degrees. Although there’s definite improvement on that front for the group, they could still do with infusing some more life here. There are more moments of variety, but equally, there’s nothing as bright as something like “The Goodbye Kid” from one of their previous records. And I have no idea what the hell “The Ballad of the Lost Brother” thinks it’s supposed to be, but it’s just…weird. I could definitely do without this track completely.
This is an album that’s being criminally overlooked, and one I think many of you will enjoy. As previously mentioned, fans of a more polished, stripped back, singer-songwriter style are going to be more inclined to like this, but stuff like the title track may appeal to everyone. This was one reason it was the song featured in our playlist. It wasn’t easy to write about this group, but this is an album I enjoyed from a band that needs to be on more people’s radar, and they deserved some words. That said, just as I can see the appeal for many people, I can see how some would find this really sleepy/boring. For this listener, it was just peaceful and pleasant. Hopefully, for the right audience, this album and artist will be a cool discovery, just as they have been for me.