Canadian folk duo Pharis & Jason Romero have created a beautiful album of songs written and performed for the love of the craft. Released this summer, These Are The Days That Turn In To Years is their seventh studio album and a departure from their last effort. Where 2022’s Tell ‘Em You Were Gold had a more traditional feel, emphasizing Jason’s lovely old-time banjo work alongside Pharis’ warm and unaffected singing, the new album presents a wider range of styles, venturing into more modern singer-songwriter territory.
Pharis plays solid rhythm guitar, sings lead throughout, and wrote all the songs. Her songs are well-made, with inventive chord changes and poetic lyrics that are both personal and relatable; specific yet not overly literal. Some songs are catchy and fun, with a lilting old-time rhythm that makes you want to flatfoot like a limberjack. Others are sweetly moody, introspective, and filled with deep emotion.
Husband Jason sings harmony, plays graceful old-time banjo, and takes some nice guitar solos. Trent Freeman’s freewheeling fiddle winds and weaves its way through the songs, and Patrick Metzger holds it all together on bass. Clinton Davis contributes piano to some tracks, John Raham adds subtle percussion, and Marin Patenaude (Pharis’ sister) sings harmony on a song.
The band sounds tight but relaxed, which may be due to the homey setting where they made the record: the Romeros’ restored old barn on the banks of a river in their small town of Horsefly, British Columbia.
An obvious comparison might be to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, but Pharis’ homespun songwriting and pleasant singing recall even more the music of Kate Wolf. As with the late California folk singer, you can always hear the smile in Pharis’ voice and the honesty in her writing.
Released on their own Lula Records label with cover design by Pharis, the album was recorded and mixed by John Raham and mastered by D. James Goodwin.
As a special bonus, the physical CD version includes an extra track, Lost Lula (also available as a standalone streaming single). It’s a gentle, dreamy tune played on old-time banjo and guitar and worth seeking out.
