The Happy Couple release new album ‘Lullaby of Broadland’

Review by Phil M.

The Happy Couple are Judith Goodman and David Ross and home to them is the Yare Valley on the Norfolk Broads. Their latest work is inspired by the countryside that they live in, their music on this outing is best described as ‘ambient folk’ and is all instrumental in nature. Goodman and Ross are respected musicians, she studied at the Royal College of Music, and he has worked with a variety of artists and developed a synthesiser for profoundly disabled artists at a local charity. He’s collaborated recently with David Sylvian and Kazuko Hohki of the Frank Chickens.

Recorded in the winter of 2023 the album aims to “.. convey our sense of awe, love and appreciation for the beautiful Broadland environment around us at this time of year. All the recordings are unedited performances made in real-time as this seems to be the best way for us to capture the right feeling in the music. Each piece represents a specific moment in time.” the couple explain.

There are a very impressive number of modern and ancient instruments played by the twosome, Goodman performing on lap steel, tenor guitar, cittern and the rarely heard or seen Stoessel lute. Ross on the other hand combines Jew’s harp and mouth bow together with electronics, and as is appropriate for an ambient album includes some local field recordings.

Fittingly for the Broads, the sounds wash delicately over the listener, and it’s hard not to be impressed by the calm serenity that the album imparts. Opening with ‘The Night Must Be Listening’ the tone is set for the remainder of the album, and is available with an accompanying video of the Broads on YouTube:

Followed ‘Holiday Pay’ the melodies here are interspersed with the baaing of sheep, making the listener aware of the space surrounding the music.

Title track ‘Lullaby of Broadland’ is also available on YouTube with a swan drifting slowly past and bats taking an evening outing:

‘Sparkling Horizon’ was the first track announced from the album, and changes location to the water with the sound of oars being pulled slowly, and the music cleverly echoing the pattern of the strokes easing through the water. On ‘Trifle’ the Jew’s harp sounds vocoder-like and is maybe the most upbeat of the tracks on offer here.

The guitar on ‘Daylily’ is somewhat reminiscent of the opening to Pink Floyd’s ‘Brain Damage’ and ‘Barton Moon’ starts with the twittering of birds and hoot of an owl greeting the night. ‘Drifting’ returns us to the water and concludes the album.

The sounds on this album are truly unique being a blend of the slide guitar and mouth instruments though there is a feel of Americana to some of the tracks. It’s all very calming and far from the stresses of modern life. For best effect headphone listening is recommended.