8/10

James Harries’ 'Love & Desire' is an exercise in immediacy, intimacy, and the unfiltered magic of live human interaction. Stripped of overproduction and polish, this tenth studio effort finds the artist embracing imperfection as a guiding principle, allowing the music to breathe and resonate organically. Inspired by an accidental roll of skewed, overexposed photographs taken by his son, he abandoned a meticulously crafted album and instead leaned into instinct, capturing the raw essence of collaboration over just three days of recording.

From the opening track 'Sabotage' to the closing 'Ungrateful Heart', there’s a palpable sense of musicians in a room listening to one another, responding in real-time, and creating a sound that feels urgent yet unhurried. Harries’ warm and unmistakably emotive vocals thread through arrangements that shift effortlessly between spacious folk landscapes and the intimate closeness of a living room session. On 'Shivers Down My Spine', the soulful urgency recalls early Van Morrison, while 'I Want Out' carries the ragged indie-folk pulse reminiscent of Big Thief, and 'Paris' glimmers with a sunlit folk-pop charm that softens the album’s emotional heft.

What makes 'Love & Desire' remarkable is its balance between vulnerability and confidence. Harries’ lyricism navigates the complexities of human connection, desire, and longing without ever feeling contrived. The album’s title-track crystallises this ethos of searching and being unapologetically alive. There’s a quiet courage in allowing songs to unfold naturally, trusting the interplay of voice, guitar, and subtle accompaniment to dictate their form.

His own decades of experience as a live performer shine through in this record. He knows how to hold attention, evoke emotion, and make usfeel present within the song. 'Love & Desire' is a testament to the beauty found in imperfection, and a reminder that sometimes the most resonant art is created when you simply let go and allow the music to find its own shape. For fans of Glen Hansard, Ben Howard, Damien Rice, and Blake Mills, this album is a masterclass in unvarnished, heartfelt songwriting.