When we heard Gareth Davies-Jones first cut, "Only For A Shortwhile" we marked him down as a singer/songwriter to keep an ear on. "Water & Light totally vindicates that opinion. Gareth continues to rise in stature as a wordsmith. His no compromise approach to getting his thoughts down on paper and out through his songs have been rewarded with one hell of an album.

"Water & Light" is everything that a good folk album should be. It's rich in people and places, politics and social justice. Just as important, it doesn't forget about the human condition and emotion. By doing that it manages to put a perspective on the songs. You can see how people are affected by interactions with other people and events.

"Shoreline Of Ghosts", for example, features the betrayal of the village communities in the North East. The old industries, coalmining allowed to fail for lack of investment, the trawlermen forced into ever declining quotas due to mismanagement by the government that let the coal industry fail. Yet money can be found to make those same villages part of the heritage trail and turn worker's cottages into holiday homes. The difference is that Davies-Jones puts it more elloquently in his verses.

As you might imagine with an album called "Water & Light", the coastline and sea feature quite extensively. "Princess Victoria" recalls the fateful night of the 31st of January 1953, when the car ferry/merchant ship of that name was lost in the Irish sea with the loss of over 100 lives. It wasn't an incident I was aware, but then it's frightening how quickly the Herald Of Free Enterprise has drifted away from the folk memory.

You might think it's going to be depressing album from the content, content that includes a biting comment on the government of fear. Far from it, Davies-Jones knows that if an album's not entertaining, you're never going to play it, no matter what it's trying to say. If you want to be heard you have to reach out to people with good songs and good tunes and it's here that he hits the mark.

"Water & Light" also reflects the human spirit, tribute is paid to those who put themselves out. People that walk sixteen miles to collect medicine for others, those that feel empashioned enough to act, not just complain. Those that live on hope alone will starve. Gareth Davies-Jones has brought the protest song into the twenty first century.

The lead track for "Water & Light", "Borderland" can be found on the Fatea Showcase Session:Songsmiths, available free from http://www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk

From Northern Ireland, now based in Northumberland, Gareth Davies-Jones is currently one of the UK’s best-kept musical secrets. But not for much longer. With his third album, Water + Light, Gareth is poised for a breakthrough into the mainstream that will ensure his powerful songs and affecting performances are heard by more than just a handful of discerning listeners.

His best album yet (and Gareth raises that bar high), it’s a baker’s dozen of fine folk-tinged tracks featuring guests Kevin McGuire (Karine Polwart Band), Yvonne Lyon and fellow North East troubadour Jez Lowe. Eleven original songs, a splendidly moody instrumental that closes out the album, plus his rousing version of the traditional Black Velvet Band sit together as snugly as weary travellers at a pub fireside on a bracing day. Standout track on a consistently strong collection is the gripping narrative, Princess Victoria, a compelling tale of tragedy at sea.

“WYLAM guitarist and composer Gareth Davies-Jones dedicates his musical talents to a very good cause – several of them, in fact. Gareth’s new CD, Only for a Short While, has just been released and its contents are designed to raise awareness of big issues. This is the fifth release for Gareth – a singer-songwriter in the Bob Dylan, protest song tradition. He tackles questions like climate change, the immoralities of the global economy and the hellish lives of asylum seekers. But his tunes are so melodic and his voice so lyrical that you never feel preached at. In Gareth’s song, Asylum, he mourns: “The state is blind and we’ve been cast, as a brand new form of underclass...” In Upside Down, he warns: “Show them love not retribution. Start a revolution...” The lyrics are intense and the aims worthy, but this is an album you could relax to in the small hours, soothed by the mellow vocal tones and letting the smooth guitar riffs roll over you. Gareth, who lives at Hagg Bank, plays and sings all over the UK as part of the FairTrade Music organisation, set up to give musicians of all nations a fair deal. He also works with Christian Aid and Traidcraft. Locally, Gareth is a regular performer at the Acoustic Cafe in Stocksfield, and is due to appear at Brampton on July 23, and in Allendale on November 18. Gareth’s album Only for a Short While is available from www.headingwestmusic.com/shop/"
Hexham Courant

Tucked away at the foot of Edinburgh's lofty Castle, in the Grassmarket area, sits The Lot, a cosy little cafe/bar, which former church hosted, on Sunday 18th February, the final gig in the four-date Scottish winter-tour of two increasingly noticed musicians, Gareth Davies-Jones and Yvonne Lyon. Gareth has something of a cross-identity, for, despite his Welsh name, he was born and raised in Northern Ireland (hence his accent), but now lives in north England, from where he journeyed to make his voice heard north of the border. The decision to tour together was a wise one, for the two artists complement each other wonderfully, both in song-content and style, each accompanying the other on acoustic guitar/percussion and backing vocals, as they perform their self-penned songs in a loosely alternate basis. Enhancing these sounds on keyboards, accordion and guitar is Yvonne's hubbie, David Lyon, himself a noted musician, producer and worship leader, with several recordings to his name.

Gareth kicked off the set with "Money Goes Round", a lyrically hard-hitting song denouncing the multi-defects of the global economy. This he followed with "Butterfly", a song inspired by seeing a butterfly trapped on the London Underground when engaged on a recent March arranged by Christian Aid to protest against the Government's involvement with the IMF. "We take their money and we give them debt/And we promise them things they haven't had yet." Clearly Gareth isn't afraid to tackle difficult topics of world affairs in his music, be they political, economic or social. In the latter category, came "Breathe", a song about woman-abuse, inspired by a documentary on life in a women's shelter in London, which Gareth completed in the aftermath of the prostitute murders in Ipswich in the autumn of 2006.

The troubadour's more personal and spiritual side was expressed in a couple of songs with a water connection, such as "Reflections" ("I went down by the river to watch it run it's course. . ./Perhaps we're like the river, running from its source"). Back to a global vision, "Upside Down" is a potent declaration of how, if we take Jesus' teaching fully to heart, we can, through the power of his love, turn the world upside down.

Yvonne has striking, clear vocals which carry well. Both she and Gareth seemed relaxed, despite - or perhaps because of, the proximity of the audience - and both, too, have warm, friendly personalities, apparent as they shared personal anecdotes during the course of the evening. Like Gareth, many of Yvonne's songs also reveal, through a variety of circumstances, the power of love. "Mariana" came about through meeting a woman in Romania, who, despite the hardships of her life, showed a determination to press on, and her face glowed with serenity and joy. On the same theme, "Love" carries a rich, poetic portrayal of what that word truly signifies, and, being a track from "Fearless", was recently used as a first waltz at a friend's wedding. Two of Yvonne's most touching songs were "Everything's Fine", encouraging us to recognise unsuspecting angels in the face of life's adversities, and "Come", a beautiful invitation to unload our burdens on he who alone can give rest and peace.

Both musicians seek to reach out to secular as well as Christian audiences; thus, while there's an obvious spiritual quality to many of their non-cliched songs, such message came over in a subtle and non-provocative manner. Both Yvonne and Gareth are, of course, well known to Cross Rhythms, and each of their latest recordings ('Fearless' [2005] and 'Only For A Short While' [2006], respectively) were awarded a full 10 squares.

Just to show there's a lighter side to their music, one or two fun songs were delivered, such as "Once Upon A Squish", composed by two kids, both named Dylan, during an Arts Therapy course led by Yvonne at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow ('The Yorkhill Sessions' is the resulting charity recording).

The song "Down In The River To Pray" from the film O Brother, Where Art Thou drew the set to a close with extended, heart-felt applause for a delightful evening's entertainment, which was also a fitting showcase for some highly creative and thought-provoking output from two of the UK's finest singer/songwriters.

Aid has never seemed more colourful. The tables have a montage of multi-coloured leaflets, the Surefish Bowl Café is doing a roaring trade, Christian Aid's Digging Deep: Getting To The Roots Of Poverty posters seem to adorn every surface and the tent is packed with chattering people.

Possibly not the likeliest place to hear an acoustic singer/songwriter but Gareth Davies Jones is a fully fledged have-guitar-will-travel journeyman and with his involvement with Fair Trade causes has taken to the challenge like the proverbial water-approaching duck. Songs of faith ("The further I go the more I'm convinced/Someone stood in for me") and justice ("Pay off the debt that's around our necks") ring out.

My attention wanders a bit due to a group at a table consisting of a Franciscan friar, a husband, wife and children who talk very loudly through Gareth's songs. But finally they leave and Gareth's "Reflections", as peaceful and tranquil as its title, draws me in even if the babble of noise around my table means I miss some of Gareth's poetic lyrics. Gareth tries a sing-along and soon James Taylor's "You've Got A Friend" has at least some of the chatterers singing.

And so the tremendous set continues with the truly haunting melody "If I Was Jesus" with its cutting lyrics and "Streets" with its painful images of street children. The final song, a haunting "what's it all about," is a beautiful low key closer. Great set, shame about the audience.
Tony Cummings, Editor, Cross Rhythms Magazine

FRIDAY’S Faith, Folk and Fairtrade concert at the Acoustic Cafe delivered what it promised – faith, folk and fair trade produce in a warm cafe style atmosphere in Stocksfield.

With all the profits of the event going to charity, the turnout of around 80 people was very encouraging. The opening set by Riding Mill’s Pete Ryder was both quirky and amusing and provided much food for thought. The audience responded well to a real wordsmith covering topics as diverse as the A68, Beatrix Potter’s gun, and the ever present threat of the weather.

The second set was an assured and accomplished performance by local singer-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones, whose strong vocal skills showed off to good effect, not least during his haunting a cappella performance of the Irish traditional Curragh of Kildare.
There can be few young men on the local folk scene who can hold their audience so well as Gareth whose Celtic roots and lilting Irish accent give authenticity to his faith-based folk music offerings. Gareth played several tunes from his latest album A Play Upon The Conscience. The title of the album is derived from a line in his song Street, a harrowing, but ultimately hopeful account of the life of one of the street children of South America.
He also managed to weave in hits from James Taylor (with whom Gareth is sometimes compared) and Bill Withers, which the audience appreciated greatly. One to watch out for - catch a local gig if you can. The Acoustic Cafe next opens it doors on Friday May 6 - hope to see you there.
Hexham Courant: Published on Friday, January 28th 2005