Henry Parker & David Ian Roberts – Chasing Light [2024]
Yorkshire and Cardiff based guitarists Henry Parker and David Ian Roberts met in 2019 when their respective folk-influenced albums ‘Silent Spring’ and ‘Travelling Bright’ were finding their way to new audiences via a series of co-headline tours across England and Wales. A shared appreciation of Nick Drake, Ryley Walker, Genesis and John Martyn naturally led the pair of musicians to sit down, guitars in hand, to improvise and compose during their free time on the road. The result of this collaboration is an album of all-original, steel-string instrumentals which blur the lines between traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive music, bound by the beautiful simplicity of two acoustic guitars, panned left [Roberts] and right [Parker] in the stereo field.
‘Chasing Light’ was largely written and was entirely recorded in the Dales village of Malham, North Yorkshire over the course of three weekend sessions in 2023. These intense periods of creativity produced eleven focussed compositions which reflect David’s long journeys north in the winter, Chasing Light, the limestone landscapes of rural Craven, Wedber Wood, and the nature themed artwork of the Pre-Raphaelite period, The English Dreamers. The album was self-recorded,over three long days, utilising two microphones and requiring no overdubs; the energy of these freshly written songs being deservedly laid down in a pure, simplistic form.
With Mark Radcliffe of the Radio 2 Folk Show calling Robert’s 2020 solo album ‘From The Harbour’ “a quiet masterpiece” and Prog Magazine describing Parker’s 2021 ‘Lammas Fair’ recordas “an immersive and mellifluous world” it is surely the case that ‘Chasing Light’ will capture the imaginations of folk and progressive music fans long into the future.
Henry Parker & David Ian Roberts –
Influenced by the acoustic guitar artistry of the 1960’s and 70’s, Henry Parker and David Ian Roberts play a style of folk-guitar music originally pioneered by artists such as Bert Jansch & John Renbourn and more recently Ryley Walker & Bill MacKay. Established singer-songwriters in their own right; the pair of musicians now present intricate instrumental duets from their highly anticipated debut album alongside original, lyrical song-writing.
Henry Parker –
“Channelling the ghosts of Jansch and Renbourn through his fingertips, the fluid playing and emotive singing of Yorkshire-born Henry Parker evokes the spirit of the early-60’s folk revival as ifit were yesterday.”RnR★★★★★“
Original material and traditional songs create an immersive and mellifluous world in which both the peace and isolation of nature are unfurled evoked through subtle arrangements” Prog Magazine
David Ian Roberts –
“A contemplative and understated classic already…I recommend this record to you unreservedly”. MARK RADCLIFFE – BBC Radio 2
“An intimate performance of astounding artistry. Lyrically his songs draw a line from Dylan Thomas to Elliott Smith, with hypnotic melodies and guitar patterns that match even the legacies of a Nick Drake or Sufjan Stevens.” -RnR