Jonquil provide the same refreshment that you’d find in drinking from a fresh mountain spring - the music clears your head, while simultaneously invoking an explosion of raw energy - mind-blowing new music and medicine for the soul.
My first thought when listening to this album was that it was recorded in some Buddhist Monastery in the hidden foothills of a peaceful Nepalese mountain. I mean, who else but a community of monks in search of enlightenment would use such simple and tranquil sounds, most notably the meditative Singing Bowl, to express themselves. Well, apparently enlightenment can also be found in a bedroom in Oxford, where Hugo Manuel’s band is working towards sharing their message with the world.
The mix of instruments used on this album has been carefully collected - Clocks, Violins and Penny Whistles all getting their five minutes of fame. The resulting sound could have been messy, but these guys have been spot-on in producing a beautiful collection of what I can only describe as modern acoustic hymns with their ancient roots clearly on display. What I’m saying probably doesn’t make much sense, but then, neither does ‘Sunny Casinos’. There is no need to try and make sense of it. Just listen, breathe it in and meditate on how beautiful life can be.
- Kate Goldsmith
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