Lucky Sixteen Ltd (label)
22 March 2019 (released)
22 March 2019
The Mostar Diving Club is the latest musical output of Damian Katkhuda, who first came to prominence fronting cult indie folk band Obi back in the early 00s, and has been making utterly delightful music ever since.
The name, The Mostar Diving Club, is taken from a town in Bosnia where Katkhuda's fathers' family hail from; as a right of passage into adulthood, young men dive from an old bridge into a shallow river below, a distance of some thirty meters.
Much like the 3 previous album he has released under this name - Don Your Suit of Lights (2008), Triumph of Hope (2013), Horizontal Hotel (2015) – ‘Here Comes Joy’ is an absolute delight. Across its 41 minute running time the album journeys from large scale production back to simple guitar and voice, and back again. Along the way you encounter everything from recorder orchestras and violins with trumpet attachments, to bowed saws, accordions, harmoniums, glockenspiels, banjos, auto harps and ukuleles.
You may have heard one of the album highlights – ‘Lovely Bones’ – being played on BBC 6Music by indie-champion Steve Lamacq and daytime queen Lauren Laverne. In a just-world, you’d be hearing many more being played. The groovy ‘Leave Me To Fly’, the chiming ‘Nobody Remained’ and the delicate ‘If You Love Her’ would all capture listeners hearts and minds.
From start to finish ‘Here Comes Joy’ is a delight. Warming, homely, and comforting. It’s an album that gently pulls you in, and then refuses to let go.
