Private 
The Pendulums : Moonmountain (UK,2006)***°
I’m glad to see an English scene is catching up with the American weird folk examples, with ideas related in their own folk heritage, and with its own freedom in expressing. This Glasgow based group grew in sound, while attracting more like minded people, until they were five members. They recorded this vivid 12-track album live at seat hall barn.
The band says it is influenced by Incredible string band, Gorkys Zygotic Mynci, mushrooms (with or without capital ?? because themselves are presented like dwarfs on the cd cover), Gong, Bonzo Dog Band, Ivor Cutler, Pentangle, Syd Barrett, and medieval music.
The band surely proves to be greatly entertaining, with here and there a pixie feeling (with even pixie vocals on “Wicked Witch”, some jew’s harp on “Greenhat”, a tracks perhaps referring to ISB), a few more direct folkrock associations here and there (especially on the folkdance related enjoyment theme of “Gie’us a Shot” and “Village o’Kirckmichael”, or even in the slightly happy jazzy “Open Up The Door”, in and a few more of the later tracks), some Pentangle influence (like the doublebass with glockenspiel on “Mercat”, and the guitars with double bass on "Darkside of Dunoon”), a medieval touch here and there (like on “Greenhat”), often combined with close associations to folk upbeat folkdances, while the vocals are led by a beautiful soprano voice or in duet and harmony vocals. “Brand New Song” has additional bass trombone and gives this track even a chamber folk association. There often is a sunny happy day feeling and nice folkrock harmonies, of which unfortunately a few of the more complex combinations of banjo/guitars/harp are a bit lost in the limited live recording. The album is highly enjoyable and while close to for me the best version of folkrock, the music has often the freedom of a more psychedelic folk feeling. The band has all the necessary qualities to be very rewarding live, but I hope the band will also get the chance and opportunity for a studio recording as well. Promising and highly enjoyable !
The Pendulums are Solveig Askvik : fiddle, cackle (vocals) ; Martin Beer : Double bass, mandola, mandolin, flute and head language word protrusion (vocals), Livinia Blackwall : harp, cynth, reed organ, kazoo, glockenspiel, vocals ; James Chapman : bass trombone, percussion, recorder, fire engine and village style morning singing (vocals) ; Mike Hastings plays guitar, banjo, jews harp, sleigh bells and vocals.
