HIRAETH

Struggling to start a family, Peter Stone and Denise MacKay, the husband and wife folk duo better known as 100 mile house, share their anguish and grief on their fourth album Hiraeth.

Hiraeth, a Welsh word meaning a nostalgic longing for something that may never have been, encapsulates the emotions pulled apart throughout the releases thirteen tracks. Despite the subject's pain, the couple lean on each other's love more than ever as the fragile songs shiver the spine.

Stone is known for his honest, heartfelt lyrics and on this release he lets us into the deepest corners of his soul. At times the songs are like wedding vows, reiterating love, finding comfort in the companionship ('Hiraeth', 'Go Take Me'). He reveals his love for his new homeland of Canada, having moved from the UK ('Pick Up Our Boots'). We share a tear, as their relationship risks crashing on the rocks off 'Brighton Beach.'

Throughout, the vulnerability of the lyrics and the delicate instrumentation, with flourishes of violin, cello, bass, steel (played by Steve Dawson) and piano, create an album to cherish. Light breaks through on 'All We Have', 'Old Haunts' and 'Seeds' where you're left holding on to the line 'An open heart is hard to find,' and the realization that in Hiraeth, you've found one.