Bob Moses - Far From The Tree EP on Scissor & Thread

The Canadian-born duo of Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance hooked up in NYC to form Bob Moses, a vocal-driven deep house act who were last heard offering a chorus on the Presents 004 EP from Francis Harris and Anthony Collins, the brawn behind the Scissor and Thread label. Howie and Vallance are worthy of attention for how they fuse house with genuine singing and songwriting talent, as well as a live aesthetic that comes through clear and cohesively, rather than being a studio afterthought. None of these different elements are compromised.

The pair resurfaces here with five impressive tracks on their Far From The Tree EP, which sees them working again with the Scissor and Thread label. The lead track All I Want is the strongest example of the house and vocal elements working together, with a chorus that’s genuinely affecting, possessing a mellow soul that’s on par with some of the finer examples of indie rock and blues. And the soundtrack behind it is equally as gorgeous; rough and organic, while still prepped for the dancefloor, it’s a masterclass that deserves to be heard.

The title track Far From The Tree sees Bob Moses slowing down their BPMs enough to possibly preclude it from being a DJ tool, though for home listening it remains a gem. The deceptively simple vocal refrain gives way to some proper harmonic work, and there’s a gritty, dense sense of musicality to its soundtrack that lifts the excellence levels further still.

The duo give themselves space to explore their rich, echoey production work across the rest of the EP, leaving it to speak for itself on the instrumental Interloper. Meanwhile, Winter’s Song offers another mellow singalong chorus that genuinely tugs on the heartstrings.

Far From The Tree is a genuinely striking collection of tracks, from an act that certainly has a unique vision, in terms of bringing the different musical worlds of the organic and electronic together. Rarely do you see those different elements woven as seamlessly as they are here. Hopefully the precursor to an even stronger debut album.