Harp
Harp is the duo, Tim Smith (formerly the singer and principal songwriter of Texan legends Midlake), and his wife Kathi Zung. Based in Durham, North Carolina, the music Harp creates is steeped in sublime melody, mood, drama and detail. It’s delivered in a timeless realm of meticulously layered acoustic/electric guitars and soft shades of keyboards, with Smith’s unmistakable voice sailing above. The dreamlike nostalgia that washes over Harp’s debut album, Albion, is borne of their love of 70s and 80s aesthetics.
The songs concern themselves with the human condition, feathered in a distinctive, poetic language that harkens back to a centuries-old and otherworldly epoch, into which one is drawn at first listen. Harp’s sound is inspired by the medieval and renaissance periods, pastoral British landscapes, castles and cathedrals under grey skies, thatched roofs, and a good tankard of ale.
Smith has worked in the past with bands such as Lost Horizons, a group formed by the Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde, The Chemical Brothers, Hollow Hand, and most recently Rob Marshall’s project, Humanist.
Reviews
“Smith’s songs are wrapped in images of fountains and mountains, regrowth and renewal... Albion is a quest so beautifully completed that once again Smith is free to roam wherever he wants.”
MOJO – 4 stars ★★★★ ‘Album of the Month’
“A beautifully produced record, with Zung and Smith’s percussion providing a gorgeous, gentle bed for the spirals of guitar, synths and occasional woodwind. Hovering above all that are Smith’s vocals: clean, yearning and poised.”
Uncut – 8/10
“Beguiling... It draws inspiration from classic folk rock as well as bands such as The Cure and Cocteau Twins to weave it’s pastoral delights.”
The Sun – 5 stars ★★★★★
“A slow-burning, reflective, profoundly beautiful gem.”
Loud & Quiet – 8/10
“A disarmingly lovely return from former Midlake singer Tim Smith... Albion steers towards romantic and creative self-rediscovery... A bittersweet and beautiful album of faith and its hard-sought gifts.”
Record Collector – 4 stars ★★★★
Contact
For publishing and licensing enquiries contact:
Mail: faberalt@fabermusic.com
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7908 5318