Their get-together in New York was a no-brainer. Next to each other they look like brother and sister, and it’s rare to hear such a successful fusion. Hartman’s soft folk melodies and Ashton’s delicate banjo have never sounded so good together. Neither of them are lacking in experience; Courtney Hartman was part of the band Della Mae while Taylor Ashton played in Fish & Bird. Been On Your Side is inspired by traditional folk, though it never strays into old, dusty territory. Relatively springy and slightly melancholic of a summer that’s passed too quickly, Courtney Hartman brings a feminine freshness to the album that her partner accompanies effortlessly. Across the dozen tracks we find the most perfect balance. Nothing protrudes and the compositions follow one another with a remarkable fluidity. There’s a light song about unrequited love (Dead to Me), the eponymous track Been On Your Side which is underpinned by the banjo, and the empathetic song Liza to close the album, with the lyrics "I know what it means to need a shoulder, so lay your head on mine." This is an album which embodies the harmony born from this friendship with the greatest sensitivity. © Anna Coluthe/Qobuz