published: 8 /
11 /
2019
Label:
Western Seeds Record Company
Format: CD
California’s I See Hawks in L.A. and Liverpool’s The Good Intentions come together for British-American folk creation
Review
Americana and British folk came together when Paul Lacques and Victoria Jacobs from I See Hawks in L.A. met Peter Davies and Gabrielle Monk of the Good Intentions at a house party in the foothills of Sierra Madre, California. The CD collaboration 'Hawks with Good Intentions' was recorded in the Hawks’ home studios and in Liverpool, bouncing guitar and vocal tracks across the ocean in the same fashion as the lyrics and demos.
It is a cross pollination of British American Folk with roots in the 1960s and 1970s and going back much further. These folks are timeless troubadours.
The opener 'Blue Heaven' begins with a subtle guitar strum. The easy earthbound natural music just sets your soul at ease. There is singing about songs and dreams, guitars and days. “It was blue, blue heaven/Didn’t mind when the weather didn’t go our way/When the big old birds would fly toward the horizon.”
'Things Like This' features singing about highway 395, south from the edge of Canada to California, a road “to get away from everything.” It tells a tale of taking hostages and a police chase - “Things like this don’t happen round here.”
I See Hawks in L.A. and the Good Intentions pool their talents for fine effect- Americana from California to the UK. The lyric on 'Rolling The Boxcars' is “Find me an angel to bless my bones,” with resonant singing about getting back home.
'Steel Rails' features singing about “Those drifters out in Santa Cruz when they get them cosmic blues.” “No one’s coming down those tracks again.” The music is again earthbound and evocative.
'Hills On Fire' tells another story: “We haven’t had a drop of rain in this whole year/ Oh how I wish that it would rain.” 'Flying Now' is organic and elevating, easy, soothing. “No one can touch me/I’m flying now.”
The closer 'Will You Watch Over Me From Above?' ends a melodic album on an inspired note. Hawks with Good Intentions sing of “A new life/Farewell the old life/Godspeed the true wife/ The answer waiting there for all of us.” It is a fine effort- a solid creation.
Track Listing:-
1
Blue Heaven
2
Things Like This
3
Rolling the Boxcars
4
Rambling Girl
5
Steel Rails
6
Hills on Fire
7
White Cross
8
Flying Now
9
Epiphany on Town Hall Square
10
Will You Watch over Me from Above