Will Merriman is the institution that propels the good ship Harvest Ministers, an act that has been releasing fine records since 1993 (formed way back in 1987). His faithful may have remained undeniably small throughout the years but this is despite a winning knack for crafting soft melodies from what are otherwise sombre and melancholy ditties. The band’s touchstone remains ‘You Do My World The World of Good’ with Aingeala DeBurca’s eerie violin adding even more gravitas to the soft cooing of Merriman and Maeve Roche. That it was released on the fabled UK label Sarah Records in 1992 says much for how highly regarded the Harvest Ministers were/are thought of. Given that that particular record is over 2 decades old you might have expected the returns to diminish but Merriman has never let the quality slip as album after album (half a dozen in total) have displayed his genius gentle way with a winning song. For the most part the Harvest Ministers are best suited to the long playing experience but there have been notable mixtape candidates like ‘The Object of Your Affections’, ‘That Won’t Wash’, ‘The Warmest Heart’ and this little gem ‘Tombstone Eyes’ down through the year. If you are up for becoming a convert ‘You Can See Everything From Here’ is a great place to start as it gathers the best of the Harvest Ministers previous work in a neat 13-track anthology. Devotee status awaits. KD
The Harvest Ministers – Tombstone Eyes
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Harvest Ministers
Year: 2010
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