ABOUT THIS ITEM

"Friends & Strangers Bring Stories", the debut EP from Jacob H James begins with the sparcest of pianos & for a brief moment we are eavesdropping on a strange & inaudible conversation. All this is ‘switched off’ – rather sweetly & voice/guitar are accompanied by double bass, accordion, flute, percussion – none of which feels unnecessary or distracting. Harmonies become duets which drift in & out with understated charm & stories become letters left on kitchen work surfaces. There is a simplicity that infuses the four songs included here, a quiet intimacy that is present within the arrangements and the ‘stories’ themselves. A noble start for artist & label (Tangled Man Records).