The sunny side of the street is where we meet Erin Durant, a musician who hails from New Orleans and now lives in New York. She attracted attention when the New York Times wrote about how she likes to transport a real piano to all her shows. Such authentic attention to detail tells you much about this intriguing artist. Her music is hushed indie folk, a simple dream that takes you on the most lovely journey to the Islands.
The album begins with a quiet strum, and a voice that just instantly bewitches. On Rising Sun she feels the sunshine on her face. I’m going back to the sunny side, she sings softly and you immediately want to follow her into the light.
On Highway Blue she takes us for a little twirl around the reading room where she once danced with her love. Her voice is truly stunning, capturing the highest notes with ease. There’s some sweet harmonica on this one too.
Sand Dunes uses her trademark piano to beautiful effect, sounding like she’s sunken it in a beach somewhere and is now singing to the wind. On Good Ol Night she asks if she can go dancing, maybe as a cure for loneliness and heartbreak. Most of these songs sprawl well beyond four minutes, wandering off in different directions but never sounding lost.
Take A Load Off has some sweet pedal steel and you feel like she could explore the Americana genre more in the future, as contemporaries like Erin Rae have a similar style. Winterlude is a moment out of the sunshine, the piano creating a snow storm of stunning beauty.
On title track Islands she sings about heading for an escape, perhaps a holiday somewhere across the ocean. Final song Another Town is a moment of introspection and this soul searching song is a lovely end to an endearingly vulnerable collection.
Islands is an enchanting album from a wonderful talent. Hold it close.
BUY/LISTEN: https://erindurant.bandcamp.com/album/islands
Highway Queens 
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