Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

A statement is only as good as its delivery and memorability, weak words are akin to the limp handshake, instantly regretted, despite their hopeful sincerity, and one that leaves the recipient wondering where they stand.

What is needed is the forcefulness of the Navigator, the directional guide who sees the display and can add their own sense of confidence to the journey; and it is a journey that the sibling duo, Joe and Helen Hammill are gearing up for in this their third studio album, a voyage of a more intimate setting but one that has the strength to stand in its Americana feel without blushing as other bands have faced over the years.

We all need that one Navigator who will look at the map once and instantly understand where the touring party are aiming for, and in Pete Hammerton’s production, the responsibility of the self is examined with impartiality and conviction, and as belief begins to become a dominant, one that really is the cornerstone of the pair’s musical assurance.

It is to the statement of the future that this album works so well, the harmony of the siblings is underscored by the realisation that they have to move forward as an entity if they want to continue to have something to say, to have a voice; after all it is what we wish for in the end, the chance to be heard and the moment in which to have a future secured.

Across songs such as Mexico, Hurts Like Real Love, Leave The Light On, Lion or the Lamb and Waiting To Become, the journey is an undertaking of conviction, the road ahead may be fraught with diversions and the odd wrong turn, but as the Navigator to the soul is very much on hand, then the route will not be ventured too far off course, and even if it is, the vision will surely be one of quality and principal.

A joyous affair, Cattle & Cane’s Navigator is attentive and focused, an album of class.

Cattle & Cane’s Navigator is available now.

Ian D. Hall