(Defend Music Inc., 2007)01 land of sea
02 broken chair
03 bettin' on the moon
04 you're the one I want
05 isn't that so
06 don't hang your heart
07 take these thoughts
08 riversong
09 time to find out
10 in my time
11 dreaming of relief
12 horse in the sky
"As music journalists there is nothing more rewarding than finding something that turns your head immediately, perking your ears and sticking with you through the day, the week, the month. The first time I popped in Chris And Thomas' debut Land Of Sea I was immediately entranced by the mellow acoustic soulfulness that permeated the tracks. It was as if the death of Nick Drake had never happened and here was a new record from the man himself… but changed somehow. Perhaps Paul Simon had come by the studio to help him flesh out a couple of songs, thickening the sad beauty of the tunes without overemphasizing the darkness. The second time I listened to the CD I was impressed with the oblique verbiage used by the songwriters and the subtle, folky Americana sounds that are used to carry the overwhelmingly melancholy beauty of these songs. But, like great slow Americana purveyors Mojave 3, Chris And Thomas really lay it down when the steel guitar comes out and the vocal harmonies step into the proving territories. Check out "Time To Find Out" or "Dreaming Of Relief" for a real taste of this duo showing their true genius and fleshing out the simplest of passages with their extraordinarily earthy vocal talent. Or really get caught up in the opening track "Land Of Sea", a track which has all the haunting melancholia of Sam Beam's best songs coupled with some light mandolins and clomping percussion. I don't know where Chris And Thomas have been all my life, but I've found them now, and I believe that I'll never be the same." Hybrid Magazine
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