Reviews for 'The Best Of While and Matthews'

5 stars "A stunning collection of self-compositions & you've one of the most consistently impressive folk roots & singer-songwriter collections to be released this year”
Rock n Reel

“A genuine selection of some of the best British contemporary acoustic songs of the last ten years. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy…..”
Living Tradition

“4 out of 5 stars “A self-compiled retrospective that’s highly recommended. They are good enough to hold their own on an international stage, & any future success which may come their way has been more than earned & consequently, well deserved”.
Maverick Magazine

“Best of….” is a nice introductory sampler for newcomers to Chris & Julie, which should do the trick. It’s changed my attitude to their work & I’m beginning to appreciate them more.”
Folk Diary

“The best of these two is of course excellent and the only decision can have been what to leave out. 15 great tracks”.
Graham Radley World Unlimited

“The pair are a real credit to the British Music Industry”
Country Music People

“With the retrospective “The Best Of”.., Chris & Julie show us what a fine musical catalogue they have pulled together over the last few years.
Quality music”.
Folk North West

Reviews for 'Here and Now'

CHRIS WHILE & JULIE MATTHEWS Here & Now’ Fat Cat FATCD016 Press Quotes

"In many people’s opinion, mine included, Chris and Julie are the best female duo on the folk circuit today. ‘Here and Now’, their latest album, showcases their talents – as singers, musicians and, above all, songwriters - superbly. They even recorded and produced the album themselves as well as playing all the instruments.
The album kicks off, appropriately enough, with On My Way, a lively song featuring Julie on gazouki (a bouzouki built in the shape of guitar, in case you ask). The tempo then slows for The Here and Now, encouraging us to live for the moment, before Julie takes the lead vocals for the first time on the gentle Breathe.
The pleasant, sunshiny Flourish is balanced by the more sombre mood of Cover Our Eyes. Steady Breathing is a wonderfully original song featuring a delightful dulcimer and piano accompaniment. All Around the World, written as an antidote to the world’s troubles: “get ready for the swathe of love that must come soon”, is followed by Feel Good List – exactly that, a list of Chris and Julie’s favourite things, including: “the twelve apostles, the Indigo girls and any Beatles song”.
Innocent New Year, where they thank their lucky stars for their best year so far, features a nicely understated banjo solo from Chris before they sign off with the delightful harmonies of So Long Old Pal. At just ten songs and 40 minutes, the album is a little on the short side but that’s being picky. ‘Here and Now’ is just a sheer delight from start to finish."
Dave Emery The Folk Mag website

Sixth release and another mighty fine collection it is too with the added intimacy of a stripped down recording that gives a good feel of how superb they are live. They serve up a perfect equation of great song writing, covering life and the emotions it evokes, super voices and harmonies and great musicianship. One to play over and again with the title track probably getting my vote as the best of 10 excellent tracks.
Graham Radley, World Unlimited/Roots & Branches

"The backbone of the album, musically and thematically, lies with the marvellous Innocent New Year. With Chris While plucking the banjo and conjuring thoughts of the more backporch flavours of Alison Krauss or some old cowboy song, it recalls the faces of 'friends strong and true" who "have carried me through" and looks to the promise of better days ahead. Owning this album would seem part and parcel of that."
Net Rhythms

“I’m totally in love with this album, the 10 superbly crafted ballads are so beautifully performed that I find myself drawn to it time and again”.
Country Music People

“With it’s sensitive ballads, stripped down production & instrumentation along with clever harmonies throughtout, this new release is set to expose them to a wider audience”.
Acoustic Magazine

“They are 2 of the British folk scene’s biggest acts, & rightly so as they have stunning voices & write excellent thoughtful & literate songs.”
Bristol Evening Post

“These girls have voices as sweet as honey”.
Maverick Magazine

“Another immaculate album from this team of excellent singer/songwriters”.
Folk Diary

“Together they make up a formidable folk force, as this collection of melodic and sweet –harmonied songs demonstrates” Burton Mail.

“Here and Now is both an immaculately honest and tremendously immediate album”.
Folk Roundabout

“Together they are one of the most established & successful duos on the folk circuit”.
The Living Tradition

“Here and Now is smooth & sophisticated and so very, very well done”
Tykes News

“Two of the best singer/songwriters in the UK”.
Country Music People

“This is a superb record & one of the best they’ve produced”
Classic Rock Society

“The voices blend perfectly in harmony but still have their own character in solo items”.
Folk London

Chris and Julie are the best female duo on the folk circuit today. 'Here and Now', their latest album, showcases their talents - as singers, musicians and, above all, songwriters - superbly.
Folk Mag on internet

For Quest

“Were it possible to bottle essence of good songwriting and performance, the chances are that it would be distilled at the While and Matthews brewery. Quest is the indomitable duo’s latest opus, is flawless.
Aided by the musical and production skills of e2K’s Kwame Yeboah, It’s a considerable departure from their previous albums. Love, loss, faith and reconciliation are the subjects covered with equal assuredness. Many of the songs have the status of ‘instant classics’, notably Walk the Line, Shadow of My Former Self, When I come down again and the fantastic Ten Thousand Miles Away.
Quest cements While and Matthews’ position as two of Britains most important singer/songwriters. Doubtless lesser talents will be queuing to cover many of these songs but, if you just need your faith in contemporary songwriting reaffirmed, buy it and be prepared to be awe-struck.”
Bill Bellamy.

CHRIS WHILE AND JULIE MATTEWS "Quest" FATCD009
This is the third album from Chris and Julie as a duo and what a fine piece of work it is. They decided to involve the acclaimed Ghanaian musician Kwame Yeboah as producer and multi-instrumentalist on this current work and what an inspiration he is to this Quest. Chris and Julie are a dream team already, both accomplished musicians in their own right; the bringing together of Chris who has one of the finest voices on the planet with Julie's perceptive and incisive song-writing skills already conjures a prospect of excellence and lo, here it is.

The music defies categorisation; some folk, some jazz, some folk-rock, some soft-rock all with an overlay of confidence and ease which only compares with the best of the genre - I would venture that the care taken in production of this album bears comparison with the best of James Taylor, Joni, Rickie Lee or Shawn Colvin. It is difficult to choose outstanding tracks but for me those which feature the lead vocal of Chris While have the greatest sway. A single is to be released of Shadow of My Former Self which is an outstanding song and has all the necessary memorability to become a success chart-wise - come on Radio 2, you did it for Gordon Haskell!

These two girls have come a long way since their time in Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band but some of the old Albion strength goes on; Kelly While, Chris's daughter is currently lead vocalist with Albion and she puts in some nice backing vocals on Shadow of My Former Self and Blind Faith; the coming together of two generations in song - a kind of living tradition. This album should be nominated for all sorts of awards, including the Mercury Prize, so make a start - Buy it!

Tony Kendall - Living tradition