The 12-string guitarist Sarah Louise and fiddler Sally Anne Morgan (Black Twig Pickers, Pelt) understand that folk music is a music that moves forward, as old hymns and songs passed down are just as restless and relevant as the time they were first written. Their self-titled debut as House And Land is a rich and seeking record, braiding the natural connection between traditional Appalachian folk music and modern composition.
"The Day Is Past And Gone" is a disarming hymn originally penned by John Leland, less a prayer and more a plea as "the hour of death draws near." Sarah Louise has played an instrumental version over the years, but here her voice is a sweet and tender contrast to Morgan's droning fiddle and her own rapturous 12-string leaps like a flame in a storm. They are joined by the rolling drums and cymbals of percussionist Thom Nguyen in this live video.
House And Land comes out June 16 via Thrill Jockey.
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