From the the first track, the new album Farthest Field by Daniel Martin Moore and Joan Shelley is a gentle departure from a world of overwhelming sensory stimulation. First of August layers pedal steel over a simple acoustic guitar rhythm, acoustic folk. Joan Shelley’s voice is reminiscent of Enya with subtle emotion underlying softly sweet vocals as Moore’s tenor lends support and harmony. The sound, consistent across tracks, is a distilled product - solely the two singers' voices and two guitars, all generously laden with reverberative effect. The result is as sparingly produced an album as any I've heard in quite some time. So much so that active listening after a cup of strong coffee leaves me wanting for something more. That said, in this day in which selling out commercially is a positive thing, many of the songs would truly make for perfect background music on network TV dramas. But speaking less cynically, Farthest Field may make for better background music, or at least for later evening music to unwind. Both singers take lead vocal duties on various songs, but the standout was the fourth track Hollow Heart in which the two harmonize so well they seem to embody a yin and yang of gender and tone, singing to oneself and each other. And when heard from that POV, the slow tempos and dulcet tones evoke thoughts of sitting shaded under a tree next to a lakeside shore on a sunny day, watching leaves afloat in the calm water. Go there, and the Moore and Shelley become welcome companions.
-Andrew Bender
