This is the seventh album from American singer/songwriter James Houlahan and is based on Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’, and contains songs which talk about the need to embrace change and making a home in this somewhat fraught and fractured society. Multi-instrumentalist and expert sideman Fernando Perdomo produced this album, as well as providing keyboards. Apart from the modern production, and possibly some of the arrangements, this never feels like an album from 2026 but rather something which has dropped through a portal and is coming to us instead from 1976, care of someone like James Brown, Gram Parsons or Graham Nash.
Although his acoustic guitar and vocals are always the anchor, different instruments are used to provide additional colour, so at times there is harmonica, or mandolin, or flute (which are just some of those provided by John Kruth who has had a huge impact on the overall sound), while the female backing singers are used sparingly so they never overstay their presence and instead provide emphasis when the time is right. In many ways this album feels like a comfortable old armchair that has moulded to the body of the owner: there are no sharp edges, just pure comfort and relaxation throughout. This is Americana with different singer songwriter stylings throughout and invites the listener deep inside and to rest awhile, engaging with the lyrics and relaxing while they start to think about life and what it truly means.
Rating: 8/10