To describe the sound of The Battle of Land and Sea, one might call up images of abandoned sea-worn ships floating through a thick coastal fog. And upon first listen you might call to mind Cat Power, or the soft glow of Songs of Green Pheasant. But eventually, you start to hear what makes the music of Portland based Sarah O'Shura so special. You get a glimpse of a world through the eyes of someone on a musical pilgrimage, whether the tales are laden with sorrow or joy, they are enchanting and hopeful.

Growing up in a remote northern Californian town as an only child definitely left its stamp on Sarah's imagination. Taking piano and clarinet lessons was the extent of her musical experience until taking up guitar and singing in a band at the age of 19. Fast forward through years of day jobs, bands beginning and ending, shows, recording, and we are nearly there. The Battle of Land and Sea sprouted from a prolific weekend of songwriting and recording while holed up with said imagina- tion and a four track at home. Sarah began recording as The Battle of Land and Sea in early 2006, with her delicate, sparse songwriting at the center and seeking like minded musical characters to help narrate the journey. Recording with long time musical partner Joshua Canny on electric guitar, a beautifully patient album that begs for repeated late night listens was created. Six of the eight tracks on this debut full-length stem from a hand sewn EP the band self-released in early 2007 and revisited for this release. Jacob Golden produced the album at his home studio in the summer of 2006 and spring of 2007, seasoning the home spun vibe and intimate songs perfectly. Mixing took place in both London and Silverlake, lending some cross Atlantic perspective, which makes sense considering the seafaring thread.

While Sarah remains a bit mysterious about her upbringing and what forged the musical veil, what we do get to know are the songs. The tracks unfurl like pages torn out of a memoir, at times autobiographical, at times phantasmagoric. Leaving the listener to discern what is fact and what is fiction, what it most clear is that all the songs come from common truths about love, loss and triumph.

The Battle of Land and Sea have spent the better half of 2007 planting roots. They've found a home with indie label Notenuf Records, been a featured artist on MySpace and their new hometown of Portland has embraced them with open arms. With the worldwide release in January 2008, The Battle of Land and Sea will be touring North America and the UK in clubs and living rooms spreading the quiet word.

"...an album of blissful folk music and mysterious lyrical lamentations; an album, then, truly worthy of the tape it’s been recorded on."
   - Drowned In Sound

"Yeah boy, it all adds up. Eight tracks high, and rising."
   - Paper Thin Walls


   - Paper Thin Walls

"O'Shura's lonesome melodies combine the dreamy melancholy of Mazzy Star with the smoky sway of Cat Power and the wintry folk of Maria Taylor while Canny's sparse, atmospheric guitar leads -- which sound like they're being played underwater -- shimmer behind mournful tales of separation and loss, often centered around, appropriately, the sea."
   - Spin

"It’s dark, sparse, intimate, and brilliant...They are, by a considerable margin, one of the best bands this writer has found from across the Atlantic of late..."
   - Drowned In Sound

"...the melodies stay original, the lyrics thought-provoking, and subtle electronic touches give each track a delightfully ethereal finish."
   - XLR8R

"Gorgeous and painful --- without being overly dramatic --- each track on the self-titled debut from The Battle of Land and Sea is an odyssey into hope, love, loss and back to hope again. The tracks on The Battle of Land and Sea are both disturbingly familiar and stunningly original."
   - My Big Mouth Strikes Again


   - Radio Free Silverlake


   - WMBR Phoning It In

"Damn Los Angeles folk, moving here and taking all the good jobs. In this case it's the Battle of Land and Sea, the homespun folk duo recently relocated to Portland, and next thing you know, the band signs to hip up-and-coming label Notenuf (home of the spectacular A Sunny Day in Glasgow). Until we build a wall around our city to keep talented indie artists out, let us embrace the sweet melancholy sounds of the Land and Sea, just as long as they join us former transplants in placing all our blame on the state to the south. "
   - Portland Mercury


   - Portland Mercury

"With a voice and a sonic signature that evokes dark forests and lost worlds, the singer has, with a single album, established herself as another sly force not to bet against."
   - Village Voice


   - Kevchino

"The Battle Of Land & Sea is the recording alias of Portland's Sarah O'Shura and Joshua Canny, whose line in unadorned acoustic songs should really sound like old hat in 2008, but far from it, this debut is executed with a flair and charm that transcends the folk boom of 2005."
   - Boomkat

"The spare landscapes of Sarah O'Shura and Joshua Canny are filled with lo-fi longing. "I've traveled far just to get to this state," O’Shura sings in the finale, "You Are the Sailor," after over half an hour of patiently introspective, sometimes haunting soundtrack-esque songs. Some dreams unfold in slow motion, and some tracks were meant to be listened to while lost at sea. Sure enough, The Battle of Land and Sea's maritime metaphors are everywhere, especially on stark tracks like "I Built the Sea" and "Birdsong." Understanding love, loss, and everything in between, at least for O'Shura and Canny, is evidently a very quiet process that works best when accompanied by the motion of the ocean."
   - XLR8R

"Every time I think the guy or girl with a guitar formula is just about completely played out, I hear something that makes me think twice. The latest to make me do a double-take is The Battle Of Land And Sea..."
   - Almost Cool

"It is rare to suggest that a record like this could only be improved by being longer, but Sarah O'Shura's next work will be awaited with massive interest. "
   - Adult Contemporary Essentials

"Sarah O’Shura owns that voice through eight tracks of this mesmerizingly lush voice/guitar duo release. What has been spun sticks to you, finds a hole in your exterior and fills the void within you. With The Battle Of Land And Sea, I felt like past horrors were coming back for my body. As awkward and fearful as that could be, Sarah’s vocals calm and shine light on beautiful objects even in battle."
   - Impose