Open Water Taps Into Their Choir of Coastal Inspiration on ‘Above The Waterline’
Open Water shine on their second album ‘Above The Waterline’, taking inspiration from the Kentish coastal town of Deal, guitarists Jeff Alexander and Richard Doolan, and vocalist Joanne Doolan’s life-changing surgery.
Open Water are a folk trio hailing from Deal, Kent, England. Originally formed in 2020 by lifelong friends and guitarists Jeff Alexander and Richard Doolan, they recently added vocalist Joanne Doolan to complete the lineup and release their second album ‘Above The Waterline’ on March 25th, 2023.
The project is a show of Open Water’s gentle, yet powerful, talents, evident on the lead single ‘Summer Cries’. Acoustic instruments form a rustic bed for Joanne’s lush vocals to rest on, and the accompanying video sees the band perform the song in a Kentish woodland, hinting at the beauty of their inspirations.
The remaining tracks showcase the band’s writing chops, mixing reflections on Deal’s folklore, Richard’s Grandfather, and Joanne’s birthplace of Wales throughout. As they state, ‘Rather than dwelling on the uncertainty of the situation, we were inspired to write hopeful uplifting, often ‘spiritual’ music that would unite all. The music has the ability to heal and uplift.’ The difficult journey to release the album was made even tougher by Joanne undergoing surgery to remove two cysts from her vocal cords in 2017, a procedure with no guarantee of success. Thankfully, with an amazing surgeon and rehabilitation team, Joanne is now teaching singing, and her voice is better than ever on the album.
For all fans of Crosby Stills, Nash and Magna Carter – Open Water have hit the nail on the head with ‘Above The Waterline’, yielding an emotionally honest and cohesive album that takes us on a journey into the past and also the present. The single ‘Summer Cries’ and the album as a whole will leave you feeling emotional yet reflective, and all of the music has the potential to heal and uplift. Be sure to check out ‘Above The Waterline’ now.