When reflecting on Paul Simon’s work in the 1980s, Graceland often steals the spotlight. Its monumental impact tends to eclipse the subtler, more introspective brilliance of Hearts and Bones, released in 1983. Considered by many to be one of Simon’s most underrated albums, Hearts and Bones delivers an honest, mature rumination on love—particularly through the lens of Simon’s relationship with actress Carrie Fisher.
My first exposure to Mandolin Orange was an early, first year, performance of Mandolin Orange at The ENO festival river stage. It was Andrew’s deep Southern baritone that lured me to the small shade stage in a stand of trees. A mix of lyrically mature, subtle well-crafted songs, kept me close to the stage for the rest of the set. This duo was different from the average blend of Eno performers that year and certainly chronologically younger than the majority.
For over 25 years, siblings Margo and Michael Timmins have quietly constructed a sound that defies easy classification—something between a whisper and a wail, an ethereal drift through the undercurrents of blues, folk, and alt-country. Their chemistry is the foundation of this sonic world, an intuitive push and pull that transforms their music into intimate and boundless.