The Hello Darlins are a musical collective based in Canada that features some of the best-known players in modern-day Americana. ‘Go By Feel’ is their stunning debut release.
Founding members, vocalist and producer Candice Lacine, and keyboard player and producer Mike Little initially met in a Canadian recording studio years earlier. Meeting up again years later and sharing a love of similar music, the duo began working with other artists such as Murray Pulver, Clayton Bellamy, Matt Anderson, Dave and Joey Landreth, Russell Bloom, and Shane Guse. The Hello Darlins were born.
The music on ‘Go By Feel’ is best described as a hybrid of country, gospel and blues that explores timeless themes of joy, sorrow and longing. On ballads ‘Aberdeen’ (featuring Joey Landreth) and ‘Prayer For A Sparrow’, the songwriting is beautiful and music captivating. The classic country rocker ‘Catch That Train’ and ‘Mountain Time’ blend harmonic up-tempo chorus lines with dreamy lyrics of escapism.
The soulful ‘Still Waters’ featuring Matt Anderson is one of the stand out songs on the album. Anderson’s powerful vocal blends seamlessly with Lacine’s lead perfectly capturing the emotion in the song, while the brooding ‘Smoking Gun’ is a timely reminder to a selfish partner that one day they will reap what they sew.
Timeless themes, exquisite musicianship, and slick harmonies combine to make ‘Go By Feel’ one of the strongest debut releases in contemporary Americana.