Janis Haves - Haves and Haves reviews

Alan Cackett - Maverick Magazine ****/5

"Janis wrote all ten songs on this collection, which takes an unflinching look at life and relationships yet maintains an atmosphere of hope and encouragement……..
Though the songs are all of a very high standard, the better performances shine through on the shared vocals with Geoff, especially Shameless, with the finely plucked guitar, Build it up again, a pop flavoured song with a unique lyrical and musical approach that harks back to the 1970's, and the driving Gone.
This is a highly creditable debut which this pair can hopefully build on for the future."

Michael Hingston – Country Music People Magazine ****and a half / 5

“Their music is anchored in American forms but has a slight British accent that enhances the distinctiveness and originality of their sound..... The duo compliment each other perfectly, Janis Haves providing the songwriting and lead vocals and Geoff Haves some accomplished and varied guitar accompaniment, sympathic backing vocals and production. Together they have recorded an enjoyable, subtle album that given the exposure would have no difficulty cutting it against the likes of Beth Neilson Chapman or Mary Chapin Carpenter".

Sue McCarthy - Southern Country Magazine

This is a London based husband and wife duo, Janis and Geoff Haves, with all songs written by Janis. Country music? Very borderline and alternative, but none the less beautiful to listen to. “Gone” is the most country track on it. Very bouncy and shows a sense of humour. Janis has a lovely voice. The album was produced and recorded by Geoff and all the guitar work is his. Very fine it is too. My pick is “Shameless”, a wistful and lovely song, with fine harmonies from Geoff. A very talented couple indeed and if they were to start writing and performing more recognisably country material, what a force they would be for the UK, every bit as much quality as anyone coming out of the USA. Still, country music is not the most popular genre in general UK taste, so they are probably right where they should be........
The whole production is excellent, including the sleeve which contains all the song lyrics

Americana UK

"Janis turns in some impressive vocal performances, perfectly portraying the vulnerability and frailty of her characters on "An Evening Spent Alone", "Miss You" and "Why Should I". She has a voice that is best suited to ballads, "Shameless" and the closing "Turn Your Love Around" being the best examples. Geoff plays some superb guitar throughout and an excellent band play their part on an album of accomplished Americana."

David Kidman - Netrhythmns

"I could have sworn I was listening to a quality product from the Nashville fringe. It's classy and accessible pop-flavoured country-styled contemporary songwriting, and the majority of the songs hooked me straightaway.
Geoff has a fine grasp of the art of subtle yet characterful accompaniment, some might say inspired by Buddy Miller. As well as a mighty fine songwriter, Janis is a pretty exceptional singer (a bit in the Emmylou Harris mould perhaps, with shades here and there of Maura Kennedy), possessing both delicacy and a great range, and an innate ability to get right inside the idiom, whether on the sublime, rippling Shameless or the soaring torch-ballads Turn Your Love Around and If That Were Me or the gutsy power-jangle of the tongue-in-cheek Car and An Evening Spent Alone (Dar Williams meets Lucy Kaplansky?) or the ache of Miss You. A superb début all told, which has been difficult to prise away from the CD player!

Roots and Branches.com – Mike Davies

That's Janis and Geoff Haves, a husband and wife duo whose debut album together sounds more like the product of Nashville than Kingston-upon-Thames. That's Nashville's Americana soundscapes as opposed to the rhinestones and fringes. Janis is a fine songstress who picks through the bones and sinews of relationships and then gives them flesh with her soaring, slightly breathy voice while Geoff provides the sort of guitar mastery that comes of 25 years in the sessions trade. The album's obvious golden nugget is Shameless, a plaintive plucked guitar ballad with shared vocals that captures the frailty and emotional desperation of the narrator, but it's run close by the closing quietly hymnal piano ballad Turn Your Love Around where the Emmylou reference points ring clear….they seem set to for a career of Haves rather than Have nots.

Charlie Dunlap - The Bath Chronicle

"For weeks now I've had playing on my CD player, over and over the top notch self produced album of Haves and Haves. This isn't the sort of alt-country that could pass for James Taylor style folk music; yet they are modern, owing stylistic debts to pop music as much as to Hank Williams.
Whatever they are, the Haves are good. Good songs, good singing, good playing and, in the case of this CD good sound and production.
Janis writes and sings the finely crafted hook laden songs. Geoff plays consummate guitar and produced the album. Saying that he plays the guitar doesn't half do him justice. The layered guitars create perfect arrangements, the sounds are calculated, perfect, beautiful - a testament no just to this session mans skills, but to his musical sensibility."




		Haves & Haves - Reviews
	Alan Cackett - Maverick Magazine **/5 "Janis wrote all ten songs on this collection, which takes an unflinching look at life and relationships yet maintains an atmosphere of hope and encouragement…….. Though the songs are all of a very high standard, the better performances shine through on the shared vocals with Geoff, especially Shameless, with the finely plucked guitar, Build it up again, a pop flavoured song with a unique lyrical and musical approach that harks back to the 1970's, and the driving Gone. This is a highly creditable debut which this pair can hopefully build on for the future." Michael Hingston – Country Music People Magazine **and a half / 5 “Their music is anchored in American forms but has a slight British accent that enhances the distinctiveness and originality of their sound..... The duo compliment each other perfectly, Janis Haves providing the songwriting and lead vocals and Geoff Haves some accomplished and varied guitar accompaniment, sympathic backing vocals and production. Together they have recorded an enjoyable, subtle album that given the exposure would have no difficulty cutting it against the likes of Beth Neilson Chapman or Mary Chapin Carpenter". Sue McCarthy - Southern Country Magazine This is a London based husband and wife duo, Janis and Geoff Haves, with all songs written by Janis. Country music? Very borderline and alternative, but none the less beautiful to listen to. “Gone” is the most country track on it. Very bouncy and shows a sense of humour. Janis has a lovely voice. The album was produced and recorded by Geoff and all the guitar work is his. Very fine it is too. My pick is “Shameless”, a wistful and lovely song, with fine harmonies from Geoff. A very talented couple indeed and if they were to start writing and performing more recognisably country material, what a force they would be for the UK, every bit as much quality as anyone coming out of the USA. Still, country music is not the most popular genre in general UK taste, so they are probably right where they should be........ The whole production is excellent, including the sleeve which contains all the song lyrics Americana UK "Janis turns in some impressive vocal performances, perfectly portraying the vulnerability and frailty of her characters on "An Evening Spent Alone", "Miss You" and "Why Should I". She has a voice that is best suited to ballads, "Shameless" and the closing "Turn Your Love Around" being the best examples. Geoff plays some superb guitar throughout and an excellent band play their part on an album of accomplished Americana." David Kidman - Netrhythmns "I could have sworn I was listening to a quality product from the Nashville fringe. It's classy and accessible pop-flavoured country-styled contemporary songwriting, and the majority of the songs hooked me straightaway. Geoff has a fine grasp of the art of subtle yet characterful accompaniment, some might say inspired by Buddy Miller. As well as a mighty fine songwriter, Janis is a pretty exceptional singer (a bit in the Emmylou Harris mould perhaps, with shades here and there of Maura Kennedy), possessing both delicacy and a great range, and an innate ability to get right inside the idiom, whether on the sublime, rippling Shameless or the soaring torch-ballads Turn Your Love Around and If That Were Me or the gutsy power-jangle of the tongue-in-cheek Car and An Evening Spent Alone (Dar Williams meets Lucy Kaplansky?) or the ache of Miss You. A superb début all told, which has been difficult to prise away from the CD player! Roots and Branches.com – Mike Davies That's Janis and Geoff Haves, a husband and wife duo whose debut album together sounds more like the product of Nashville than Kingston-upon-Thames. That's Nashville's Americana soundscapes as opposed to the rhinestones and fringes. Janis is a fine songstress who picks through the bones and sinews of relationships and then gives them flesh with her soaring, slightly breathy voice while Geoff provides the sort of guitar mastery that comes of 25 years in the sessions trade. The album's obvious golden nugget is Shameless, a plaintive plucked guitar ballad with shared vocals that captures the frailty and emotional desperation of the narrator, but it's run close by the closing quietly hymnal piano ballad Turn Your Love Around where the Emmylou reference points ring clear….they seem set to for a career of Haves rather than Have nots. Charlie Dunlap - The Bath Chronicle "For weeks now I've had playing on my CD player, over and over the top notch self produced album of Haves and Haves. This isn't the sort of alt-country that could pass for James Taylor style folk music; yet they are modern, owing stylistic debts to pop music as much as to Hank Williams. Whatever they are, the Haves are good. Good songs, good singing, good playing and, in the case of this CD good sound and production. Janis writes and sings the finely crafted hook laden songs. Geoff plays consummate guitar and produced the album. Saying that he plays the guitar doesn't half do him justice. The layered guitars create perfect arrangements, the sounds are calculated, perfect, beautiful - a testament no just to this session mans skills, but to his musical sensibility."