A Different Thread - Over Again
Self-released
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I first came across A Different Thread, a Transatlantic duo comprising Alicia Best (US) and Robert Jackson (UK) around seven or eight years ago and have watched and listened with interest as they’ve grown in stature. To this, their third full-length album, the pair bring a shared sensitivity that immediately qualifies this effort as an absolute standout. Throughout they demonstrate that drive and dexterity are frequently spawned from pure intent, as well as the taste and talent to pull it off. The two have long since proven their ability in that regard, both together, on their own and as contributors to the music of others. Anchored by their richly textured voices, Robert’s dextrous guitar playing and Alicia’s inventive drums and percussion, the songs seem to flow from some great repository of emotion and insight. Whether they’re telling a life story or zooming in on a single moment, they have a way of filling their songs with humanity, using their beautiful playing and harmonies to emphasise what connects us all.
While there’s a lot going on in each song, the pair deftly assemble the pieces into a polished whole, avoiding any sense of clutter. Come On Home Molly marries Americana and folk music with Alicia’s enchanting vocals and sparse yet textured instrumentation. A mid-tempo piece which focuses on the unexplainable loss of a long-term friendship due to ghosting. This is clearly a song about transitions in life, and she lets her vocal bring the lyrics to life with the catchy chorus. Robert coils harmonica and harmonies around it, injecting the feeling of rejection with a shot of something like hope. Emotional upheaval permeates the music in ways both painful and transcendent in Goodbye Muddy Waters. Robert delivers a raw, candid lead vocal with keening harmonica wrapped inside the gorgeous, gently atmospheric arrangement. The pair’s nostalgic harmonies provide a reverie, evoking the warmth and comfort of the song’s treasured memories, making for a stirring listening experience that is delightfully transportive.
Amarantha is a simple, sparse and beautiful acoustic folk soundtrack to the winter blues that can affect even the most buoyant of people. Alicia eloquently addresses the theme of resilience and empowerment through the darkest of days. In this case, simplicity and sincerity reign supreme, giving this flower the fresh fragrance of energy and optimism as Spring approaches. They take a more political stance with The Prophet, as they feel compelled, particularly at this time, to remind us of all that is wrong with American politics. A gentle, but persuasive Appalachian-flavoured protest song, it is clearly focused and anchored with Alicia’s call out of pesky religious untruths to pass on a world better than the one that we’ve inherited.
Hope is at the centre of the optimistic title song. An old-fashioned duet with a country-ish arrangement of mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar and upright bass, this handclapping, singalong tune perfectly pairs their playing and harmonies as it warms the heart of the listener. As the quiet of an ended record settles into place with the exquisite Leon, their harmonies and Caitlin Jones’ flute, haunt, like little ghosts that keep playing through the silence. Time slows down listening to this record, as A Different Thread give each story room to breathe. Through it all, the listener is connected, too, tuned in to the stories they tell and the emotion running through the music. The humanity in their songs and voices is a holy hymn indeed.
July 2026