You And I

You and I is a London duo built around Benjamin Francis Leftwich's vocals and guitar and Holly Thomas's cello. Their 2010 debut album, 'All Imperfect Things,' established their sound, which leans on folk structures but gets its atmosphere from Thomas's cello lines and some electronic touches. They followed it with self-titled and 'Grim Humour' albums in 2013 and 2016.

Songs like 'Memory Loss' and 'Achilles' show their approach: quiet, introspective tracks where Leftwich's lyrics sit close to the foreground. The cello work isn't just accompaniment; it often carries the melodic weight, giving the music a somber, sometimes nostalgic feel. They've kept to that lane, avoiding brighter pop production in favor of a more consistent, mood-driven palette.

Their work got tagged as melancholic or emotionally heavy, which fits. They didn't really shift from that position, and the catalog feels like a sustained exploration of a particular emotional space rather than a series of reinventions. The title 'All Imperfect Things' points to that focus, less about grand statements, more about the details in quieter, flawed moments.