Iowa debut | It was an auspicious meet-up ... singer-songwriters Daniel Martin Moore and Ben Sollee, together with producer Yim Yames (née Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk) coming together to create a ground-breaking record inspired by their shared passion for the land and people of their home state, Kentucky. The issue? Mountaintop removal (MTR), a form of coal mining that is devastating the land and culture of Central Appalachia. “This is a human rights issue. There are a whole bunch of folks who are being forsaken and mistreated — literally poisoned,” Moore says, referring to the widespread pollution that is a result of MTR.

In addition to passion, these collaborators share similarly impressive pedigrees. Classically trained cellist Ben Sollee infused his much-lauded 2008 debut album, Learning to Bend, with a unique synthesis of folk, soul, jazz and bluegrass. He is a member of Abigail Washburn’s Sparrow Quartet, has been chosen by NPR as one of the “Top 10 Unknown Artists of the Year,” and has had his music featured on Showtime’s Weeds. After serving in the Peace Corps, Daniel Martin Moore won over Sub Pop Records in 2007 with an unsolicited demo of deceptively simple, soft songs and found himself working with producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, U2, The Shins) on his first album. His 2008 release, Stray Age, had critics comparing him to Nick Drake and M. Ward.

Dear Companion was born when Sollee stumbled upon Moore’s music on Myspace. Upon meeting, Sollee says it was apparent “there was a strong connection,” especially over their concern about mountaintop removal. Those defending the use of MTR are primarily huge corporations with bottomless pockets fighting against grass-roots activists and artists who have little more than words and music on their side.

But Moore and Sollee know the power of words and music. They set out to create a five-song EP that would raise awareness. When Yames, also an outspoken opponent of MTR, came aboard at Sollee’s invitation, he knew the friends had something special, so he suggested they expand the project to a full album.

While the themes might be dark, the music is not; the songs are shot through with light and hope. “My Wealth Comes to Me” and “Something, Somewhere, Sometime” provide perfect harmonies, showcasing the unity of these friends’ spirits and voices while evoking comparisons to fellow Kentuckians, the Everly Brothers. There is the slow boil of “Try” and the understated yet powerful loveliness of “Sweet Marie," centered on an orchestral movement composed and arranged by Sollee. All in all, Sollee and Moore provide a soothing and enlightening album. Most of all, these songs are packed with that most important and enduring ingredient of all great music: emotion. It’s there in every note sung, cello string sawed and guitar string strummed.

This should be even more evident live, when Sollee and Moore will be joined by percussionist Dan Dorff and violinist Cheyenne Mize.