Bill Mackay & Nathan Bowles - Keys LP

Keys, the debut album from Bill MacKay and Nathan Bowles, is, on first blush, a collection of guitar and banjo duets—but from the opening moment, it is clear that Bill and Nathan’s agreed-upon duo is a living organism, growing as it goes. Behind the stately figures of “Idumea,” a 19th-century southern hymnal played out on their stringed instruments, a low organ drone hums persistently, signaling that this music, while coming from traditional places, is asking more of itself, seeking sparks of inspiration to light the path forward.