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May 31, 2019 Sacred Paws By Lee Adcock

When two anxious young lovers court each other, they’re often inseparable. But when one adult starts to fall for another, the rules change. Afro-dynamic duo Sacred Paws might seem at times like just a vessel for Rachel Aggs’ inimitable guitar weaves, but their second album Run Around the Sun also builds a cohesive argument for that old proverb about distance and hearts. And just as a well-calibrated relationship can benefit all parties involved, these ebullient songs are clearly a joy for both the listener and the band.

To be fair, Run Around the Sun doesn’t switch up the tried-and-true hustle of Agg’s fleet fretwork and Eilidh Rodgers’ multi-layered rhythm that much. But that’s fine—from the congenial hustle of “The Conversation” to the poignant round of “Other Side,” Aggs and Rodgers prove over and over that their chemistry has never been tighter.

The latter also offers a nice catharsis, with the line “nothing can stand between us.” For, throughout the album, Sacred Paws test and question that tenacity between friends and lovers. “I don’t know what’s so wrong with being here on my own,” Aggs sings between the oriental flourishes of “What’s So Wrong”; elsewhere, our protagonists smile and sigh at the “page on a map” that separates them on the Paul Simon-like respite of “How Far.” Regardless of what keeps the two apart, Aggs and Rodgers show us that real bonds don’t need proximity to flourish—as with Sacred Paws, the best relationships thrive on a steady rhythm. (www.sacredpaws.co.uk)

Author rating: 8/10