psychedelic Folk review page 18

Hobby/Horse Rec. The Owl Service : A Garland Of Song (UK,rec.2006-2007)****

Like the liner notes of Steven Collins say, it is very clear how this collection “was born from a love for traditional music…As the album progressed my thirst for traditional song grew and I began unearthing music from the original revival which I’d never heard before. Every day I was finding new material…By the time I’d completed the album, with the help of some wonderful collaborators, I’d managed to truly get inside of these songs and I ended up feeling as though I’d written them myself. I set out to make the most exciting English folk album since “Liege and Lief”…”.

The result is between a sparse sensitive acapella tradition (on the right moment, with just one track) and a more arranged idea that absolutely recalls this ambition enriched by the heritage of all the UK folk expansions. It assembled a nice collection of not too known traditional songs, which alone is worth checking out.

I am not sure to which groups I can compare many tracks well, but the care for them and feeling for them made the result sound like a lost album of the 70s UK folk area. We must realize how in the last few years discounting this part of British folk heritage, rekindled it with their own identities, and have been brought to our attention many US bands, so it is about time that modern UK follows with as much strength and with a comparable feeling for sensitive originality, outside the usual folkrock commerciality and their greatly hyped market. What contributes to the quality, is that Steven Collins also attracted the right persons, like female singers who have that quality to provoke a world of a cultivated sensitivity (can’t think of a better word for it), often with a court-ship quality, while he himself contributes with an at many points nice Trees-like electric guitar, percussion, mandolin, bird sounds, glockenspiel and even a few times sitar in combination with other softly dancing stringed instruments or gentle percussion and other textures. Each contributing singer adds her own flavour, and they fit well together with the others. Nancy Wallace's voice for instance easily recalls Mandy Morton from Spriguns ; I must think a bit longer with which mood or sphere I would describe the others. Another great moment we can hear on “Apple Tree Man”, with a whole “Wickerman”-like semi-communal or neo-60s background chorus, for which the participating occasional members had been called as one entity as “The Cricketfield Chorus”. On the album, all tracks flow beautifully from one perfect mood to the next. The collection certainly and definitely deserves a real thick vinyl LP edition as well, instead of this ridiculously limited 100 self-burned privately issued copies only. With the right promotion or just a few collectors knowing of this, I am sure a vinyl edition and also a real cd would easily sell well. Labels ?

Most probably it is only a matter of time of more recognition, because as the next project the group is currently also working on an EP of new material with Alison O'Donnell (formerly of Mellow Candle). Such an occasion from this quality should get them some attention soon.

Owl Service is led by Steven Paul Collins (many instruments) and Jo Lepine (vocals). They have been joined by Dom Cooper (voice/songwriting on 10), Martyn Kember-Smith (fiddle on 10), Diana Collier (vocals on 7,10), Pamela Wyn Shannon (banjo,vocals on 5) (review of her new release see below), Hermione Swinford (harp on 2), Nancy Wallace (vocals on 4) and Laura Hulse & Paul Micklethwaite (collectively known as Yealand Redmayne, on vocals and guitar on 13).

The group is currently also working on an EP of new material with Alison O'Donnell (formerly of Mellow Candle).

Homepage : http://www.midwich-cuckoos.co.uk/ & with audio : http://www.myspace.com/theowlservice

Link to collaborator Jo Lepine : http://www.myspace.com/jolepine

Other reviews I hope I can find on line soon...

Previous mini-release is reviewed on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview16.html#anchor_380

Next release with Alison O'Donnell (2008) is reviewed on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/folk-rock.html

Official release->

demo The Boy Who Spoke Clouds (AUS,2007)****

demoThe Boy Who Spoke Clouds : The Seal Woman (AUS,2007)****

This is the project of Adam Casey, formerly singer of a group called Seascapes of the Interior. He plays guitar, banjo, programs, sings and uses found sounds. It features steady member Jenny Jo Oakley who arranges with piano, melodica and clarinet, vocals. The illustrations are also hers, which most probably directly inspires Adam Casey. Justin Rhodes played drums on the recordings, and Alex played violin. Currently a new percussionist and cellist is been looked for. I received two recorded demos which are a full CD and a 5-track EP which are ready for release.

The full album was recorded at home with a sony handycam used as a microphone to record directly on PC, and was compiled and composed during a 9-month period of recording. Strangely enough this approach gave a very rich, warm and well finished, sophisticated sound. This is the kind of result which fits well with the attractively arranged styles of people like Vitaminsforyou, Uphill Racer, Brendon Anderegg, but also more popular releases from perhaps Sufjan Stevens, but also Tunng and other comparable projects. There’s often of a somewhat guitaristic rhythmical continuation, a swollen environmental sound space continuum, enriched by lots of things happening, with sounds and arrangements that almost give the effect of a socializing of the sound so that it gets rid of any chance of a lonely feeling. Within its spatial fullness of sounds, these arrangements are kept clear and are never saturating the content. Other tracks are more clearly spinning and improvised guitar-based (loop-like acoustic with electric, and sometimes a droning bass or with bits of keyboards), but there are also just a few chamber-like arranged instrumental passages, which I assume are arranged by the violinist.

The 'Seal Woman Suite' is an EP initially recorded for a dance production. Once the production fell through Adam Casey was left with music that was intended to fit with a narrative, but no narrative to go with the music. Because he has a PhD in creative writing himself, he decided to rewrite the myth that the dance was originally concerned with. Each piece of music within the suite (instrumentals based upon acoustic guitars enriched with more sound composition, of water, wind chimes, and other often minimalist harp-like arrangements) reflects the story, and the story was to fit with the music fragments. This story was based on an ancient Scandinavian myth usually referred to as "the seal woman", as opposed to offering a moral lesson. The new musical interpretation is supposed to explore different characters that reflect some experiences from the story. The texts of these reflections are not spoken but can be read with the music. The music evolves a bit like a background happening with a story, and is rather filmic. The vocals on the third track give it something of a personal ritual event. The last instrumental sound as if the droning chords are drowning away the memories in the story.

Tracklist TBWSC : "Where have we gone?", "Hermit", "Energy Rescue", "Goodbye", "Fill this room", "Happening", "Passing", "Fear at 3AM", "Seperate", "Falling, slowly", "Faces", "Every drop of the sea", "Clair".

Tracklist THE SEAL WOMAN : 1. Loneliness, 2. The Seal Woman's Dance, 3. Drying Out and Crippling, 4. A Gift, 5. Breathing Underwater

Audio of first demo : "Goodbye", "Happening", "Separate", "Falling, Slowly"

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/theboywhospokeclouds

& http://www.mp3.com.au/artist.asp?id=18153

Homepage : http://www.theboywhospokeclouds.info/

privateAlmaden : "The Dream Continues in 1,000,000 Roads as the Journeyman Slumbers to be

Awoken by the Berries of Air and Forest, a Dawn Pre-Imagined and so Owned in Footstep and Deed

as Our Lovely Soujourner of Unabysmal Light Soujourns 4th into Willowy and Totally Purple Dawning,

Day is Upon r Hero and the Golden Rd. of Infinitudinous Blessedhood,"(US,2007)****

What a (long) title for the album...giving me over 10 minutes of naturally changing pulsating drones and guitar feedbacks (on “buffalo and daughter”) to think this over, before coming to the semi-drugged-mind psychedelic folk core expression. On some point this seems like how brains and brainwaves thoroughly become like roots of trees. They grow with the acoustic guitar pickings, with humming droning waves in the vocals, taking time to stretch with its mood creations…(and this especially on “black swan”).

The harmony vocals on “Buffalo Forever” will possibly bring Devendra Banhart to mind for some listeners, bringing this kind of loner hippie to a tepee, which thoroughly will be smashing to pieces its wow-wow drumming…on his guitar, very distorted in mind, flesh, and wood. “Prayers for singers” makes it up with flowers, whistles, and witches-brew hummings as flipped romantic religious worships and bubbled colourful consciousnesses.

Some songs are listed as dedications to life, while the first one which breaths a pause is the meditational moment; a few others are moments of waiting in vain, and are the songs of death, drooping sadly towards a certain wickedness. “Kill me again” is again a bit more communal, with a whipping and hopping ritualistic feeling in the rhythms, as a controlled wackiness, romantic-religious and keeping finger-crossed control in song while mind-losing and opening its consciousness.

“Paean: Kitteridge Sam” is calm and sweet, like celebrated candy butterflies swimming in butter. The whole crowd of musicians sings along, in harmony with harmony and a bit of disharmony.

“North Country Girl” is a heretic outburst heart full of romance, love, desire and wining, with troubadour guitarpickings and child playroom glockenspiel remembrances slightly dementing, and some harmonium. “Song of sorrow” is again a song of death and sadness, blowing in the winds of lost times. The same backing musicians (himself) howl along like priests, or play glockenspiel like victims of circumstances.

“The golden road” sings to the full lightness of daylights again, of thoughts that first were hidden away in prison pits, while having collected so many emotions with it, its final expression becomes transcendent by its seeing light for the first time. This is once more entirely romantic, and is one of the so many more poetic moments that make my brains and heart melt again, letting me visualize all interconnecting moments, that let me write words spoiled with spotting ink that spreads their way around all that has been written and thought and imagined, becoming one with the method of the visionary artist.

The last few tracks dream further away with guitar pickings.

The last track, “White shroud” is a song that cries differently, and is spontaneously sung more “Japanese”, -as a matter of saying- a beautiful approach; for the same reason this is the voice of a native Indian : anyhow, it is a heart singing, with the ghost and spirit-of-a-heart speaking and singing in tongues.

Yes, I like this. But I must admit : I had to listen a few times before being able to start writing about it. My attention first melted so much with music and poetry and I almost lost myself completely in its coloured cocoonic bubble.

Audio & info : http://www.myspace.com/almadenfolk

& http://www.virb.com/almaden

Other review : http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_August07.htm#Almaden

Update : The album now is released by finnish forest folk label 267 lattaajjaa : http://www.saunalahti.fi/~hhaahti/267lattajjaa/ltj-63.htm

Recently Almaden also records as a hippie singer-songwriter the name of Mountainhood. Review on next page->

privateSimon Stevens : Avalon / Stepping Of The Train/ Hills of Albion -EP- (UK,2007)****

This three-track demo can also entirely be heard on myspace. The music has surely convinced me. Simon Stevens proves with his plainly expressed emotionality and clear song orientation as if dressed for live presentation - that blues expressions (“stepping of the train”), hints of psychedelica, and certain links to troubadour occasions (“hills of Albion”) can all go hand-in-hand ... and indeed expand his range of expression. In an interview Simon said “See, folk music is normally seen as a British thing, a guy with a guitar and harmonica, or a lass singing solo or playing violin, you know that kind of jazz. But if folk music is about people, then it's everywhere. Take reggae for example, it's really just West Indian Folk music when you think about it. Or rap music is the music of Black street culture, or it used to be before they started singing about arses and diamonds". The website shows campfires. “Hills of Albion” is hypnotically loaded with mostly many acoustic instruments, and create a more mystic, psychedelic feeling. A name to remember.

Audio & info : myspace.com/simonstevensramblingboy

AhsternIn Gowan Ring : Exists and Entrances -collected volumes I-IV- (2CD) (US,2007)****°

One of the few surviving true-in-heart troubadours/minstrels for me, is B’Eirth and his group project, In Gowan Ring. These recordings are from a collected and personally recorded work between 1994 and 2003, some of them in cooperation with Michael Moynihan (Amber Asylum), Annabel Lee (Blood Axis), Markus Wolff (Waldteufel), Margie Weink (Fern Knight), Lincoln Lysager, amongst others. Just a few songs are interpretations of others (Psychic TV, Nick Drake, ISB, a few traditionals, Vasthi Bunyan, Legendary Pink Dots, 17 Pygmies, Brian Castillo (The Living Jarboe), Rod McKuen and Fred Neil), which are not necessary recognisable. Nick Drake’s “Way To Blue” for instance became an entirely different, in fact brilliant, romantic troubadour interpretation, using more something like a kind of text interpretation into song. “Lord Of Man”, from Robin Williamson, sounds like a mixture of ritual neo-pagan theatre, and a medieval street performance, (mixed with a tiny Current 93 association here and there), recorded live with a small child-friendly public, going berserk with handclaps and foot stamps and violin once, and with enthusiastic children at some other stage. “Ring O The Rascal” on the second CD sounds like to come from the same stage and is charming to hear, like a stage entertaining song for children. All these different song interpretations prove how well and focused B’Eirth can interpret these songs completely one with their world of expressions. Volume 1-4 had their previous, limited private cdr editions, but not all the tracks were taken from these previous editions, just 40 in total. The songs are described in the notes to be related to the observations in nature, of the processes of the vernal and autumnal equinox. Beautiful instruments were used, and not just guitar and flutes, of which some of them, like the droning instrument on “Hazel Steps” I cannot recognize. Two tracks blur strangely and hypnotically in speed… One of the songs, sung a bit more like a traditional is based upon a text of W.B.Yeats (I wonder if the music wasn’t directly related with Yeats too?), and seemingly also a text by Gillian Darley was interpreted. While often a slight melancholy softness is touched, there’s as much celebrative strength to life and deeper values. The song collection is so well and carefully compiled for minstrel music lovers this makes this collection a must-have, which will bring repeated listening pleasure.

Audio volume 1-3 : http://mp3tracks.biz/in-gowan-ring/...& http://mp3tracks.biz/in-gowan-ring/...

http://mp3tracks.biz/in-gowan-ring/...

Homepages : http://www.ingowanring.com/

& http://www.bluesanct.com/bands/igr/

& http://www.myspace.com/ingowanring

Review : http://www.musicnonstop.co.uk/product-view.php?productid=19674

Review of volume 2 : http://www.fakejazz.com/reviews/2003/ingowanring.shtml

& volume 3 : http://www.fakejazz.com/reviews/2003/ingowanring3.shtml

Description on http://www.coldspring.co.uk/mail_order/Ahnstern.php

German review : http://www.ikonen-magazin.de/rezension/Ingowanring2.htm

German description on http://web204.lx9.ihr-host.de/...

2 previous In Gowan Ring releases (1999 & 2003) are reviewed on next page->

and under the name of Birch Book on next page->

next In Gowan Ring release->

Clearspot In Gowan Ring : Time Is A Spiral (US,rec.2003,pub.2007)****°

This is the first release in a series of 10"s which will feature various sessions recorded by, at, and for the VPRO radio show called 'Dwars'. The VPRO recording I think was done a day or so before the “Psyche van het Folk” live in studio sessions, so with this release of course I had already an idea how this must have sounded before I even heard this. For me, I still remember well the PVHF sessions as a rare and remarkable moment of beauty.* I had asked them to take as much time for the songs as they wanted, an openness which created perfect results. Nice to hear that only a few tracks were similar and with comparable interpretations. Also here can be heard In Gowan Ring’s unique sphere. B’Eirth has a voice that penetrates deeply, his guitar play makes it all so timeless, while his songs seem like from a deeper and forgotten level of inspiration, troubadour-like, while Amber’s additional voice adds a certain dreamy romantic feeling and her German flute additions makes it so complete. A memorable session. The album is limited to 500 copies, so be quick.

Info : http://www.clear-spot.nl/catalog/view.php?item_id=283759

*If anyone wishes to use them for a release are still free to ask me for the master tapes of it (recorded on tape but this can be remastered on audio cdr-).

next release->

Venuscape Vequinox : Planetary Harmony (UK,2005)**°'

Grown up with its musical interests for a huge part in the eighties, while having heard things like wavepop, Dead Can Dance, Celtic music, and the early development of neo-folk, the group leans for one part on certain darker and downer and kept simple inspirations of neo-folk while using some other elements besides coming forth from some different instrumentations (like sitar, tanpura or tabla), in a rather simplified way, while having nearby some lighter acidfolk balanced inspirations too, besides a few other attempts of styles. Their music sounds best and most rewarding when using the bowed psaltery in combination with a rather Spanish guitar interpretation, eventually with extra other elements like flute. Lisa’s voice could reach some Lisa Gerard associations (which she does just once in one song), but she does not use this association very much. Most often sad songs are performed, of which the sadness in Chad’s voice fits them very well (“Edward”). “This old Town” reveals acidjazz inspirations, with trumpet (like cornet), rhythms and a bit of sitar. The inspirations are a bit divided which leaves me with a bit of a sad feeling because the most inspired moments that way don’t come out in a most ideal and uplifting way.

Audio : http://www.ilike.com/artist/emerging/vequinox_1 & http://www.myspace.com/vequinox

& with costumers reviews : http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/vequinox

Homepage : http://www.vequinox.com/

Description : http://www.garageband.com/artist/vequinox_1

September Gurls Rec. Fit & Limo : Astralis (D,2007)***'

This might be the most, -slightly romantic-, dreamy release of Fit & Limo, multiple arranged, in cloudy organic movements, with a misty attention attached to the effect of arrangements. Like always they use a lot of instruments of which sitar, mellotron, and soft fuzz guitars found most of my attention amongst other elements of the layers. On just a few tracks I am taken slightly to Elly & Rikkert’s “Parzival”. On a few other tracks it seems like some songs were inspired from medieval or comparable, old songs. The 18 songs are compiled with a convincing consistency; they give me a slightly stoned and take-me-way effect.

Description on http://www.steinklang-records.at/shop/...

Label entry : http://www.septembergurlsrecords.com/index.php?section=BAND&item=6

More info on group and links to previous reviews you can find on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/fit_limo.html

Little Somebody Rec. Cloud Temple : Funeral Dirge ov thee crowe king- (US,2007)**°°

This album contains just three tracks, of which the head title also is the most immediately captivating one. It is a dramatic self-penned folk story and ballad. Here, John Miller sings in duet with himself while he accompanies some sweet guitar pickings with touches of percussion sometimes echoing a bit near some end of verses. At some dramatic points there are melancholic silences with percussive echoes with some additional effects, lingering on like energy dripping out of the song and words, spreading in its own nature into the environment, where a bit of baritone voice concludes with this, one and eternal. The kind of song and concept, with all its artwork and theme, is easily associated with some of the Stone Breathe related releases. The story for me develops as if sung in an imprisoned head of a victim of circumstances, contemplating his actions from a tower, which moves like in a chess game in its order of dramatic events into the dashboard of life towards an inevitable checkmate. A wonderful conception. The shorter “Sleeping Breath” falls a bit in its shadow, mumblingly improvised with guitar and vocals on endlessly, loosing grip in tone and foundation. Also the vocals on the last track, “Behind Thee Silver Gate Ov Brenna” don’t come out focused enough well, so that the acoustic and electric guitar with mumbles becomes a bit too sad and blurry. But when the last bit improvises with drones, this develops well and organically to something to some dramatising effect of its own. We hear sounds based upon guitar metallic string sounds and slide effect experiments, that evolve improvised until the effects overwhelm experimentally.

Printed at 230 copies only.

Audio & info : http://www.myspace.com/cloudtemple

Homepage : http://www.beardofmoss.com

Label : http://www.myspace.com/littlesomebody

Other review : http://www.eveningoflight.nl/en/reviews/cloudtem_fdotck.htm

A review of another release of John Miller on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/guitar9.html#anchor_236

Girlhenge Rec.Pamela Wyn Shannon : Courting Autumn (UK,2007)*****

It is clear how the last few years, Pamela Wyn Shannon dug into and simultaneously grew with her roots deeper into the new acid folk scenes and made acquaintance with many of its contributors, and enriched her style in the scene, making her own place steady and strong as a rock. Pamela herself describes her debut in the nineties with her New Jersey rock band ‘Shaking the Pumkin’ as a false start, because despite production help by Lenny Kaye from the Patti Smith band the cooperation with the band didn’t grow strong enough. A welcome chance brought the folk scene interest. She met Johnny Moynihan from Sweenye’s Men, Planxty, Silly Sisters, and together they toured for a year around Ireland. Back in the US she performed and recorded with groups like Solas, Lunasa, Klezmatics. But also the European scene followed her (a gig with Dave Graham, and appearances on various radio stations). This new album can’t be anything else but a pre-release because its quality is too good to keep it to a to 500 copies limited private cdr edition only, with handprinted front cover.

The album was mixed in Philadelphia by Brian McTear (Espers, Mazarin, Marissa Nadler, Danielson). Additional arrangements and contributions were done by Anna Patton (clarinet, penny whistle on 10), Bill Shontz (recorders on 1,6,8 and recorder arrangements on 1, 6, 8), Chris Hale (sitar on 5), Ethan Hazard-Watkins (violin on 10), Liz Knowles (violin, viola, cello on 2, 7, 12 and string arrangements on 2), Michael Kinney (cello on 3,4,6), and Stephen Katz (cello on 9), Gisele Zeitker (production support).

Pamela Wyn Shannon’s voice moves me, more than on her already very nice debut, the (folk-chamber-like) arrangements are marvellous, and her songs are something like capable of healing wounds of bleeding hearts, with the power of nature and literature behind her. Also her fundaments with guitars are delicate and descriptive “Ca’the Yowes”, "Cold Blows the wind",...). For me the album for a change stretched time for the experience : it was as if I listened attentively for hours. The last track is a spoken word piece with a cello arrangement and some textures.

A big surprise, and absolutely recommended masterpiece.

Audio : http://www.myspace.com/pamelawynshannon

Info : http://www.girlhenge.com/page_discs.html

One song appeared on a vinyl single in 2009 ; see review on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview30.html

Previous releases I have reviewed on http://singersong.homestead.com/folk2.html#anchor_44

demoReverie : Promo 2007 -EP- (I,2007)****

A group that seems to evolved greatly since their debut demo from 2002, is this Italian band who define their music as “progressive folk”. The first track, “Willson’s Wilde” with chamber-like acoustic arrangements clearly has a Renaissance influence, light and happy like a court dance. The next track, a slowly sung out of the breast song with a semi-folk association, with droning synths and calm electric piano keyboards, have an approach for its folk song melody with arrangements that occur in Celtic music more than once. Third song track, “Sonetta 130” is arranged with guitars pickings, Rhodes, and cello, and several flute arrangements. The beautiful voice of singer mixed with the chamber-like arrangements I could compare well to Sedmina (former Yugoslavia), which is a compliment. Also the last track, “Kiam Alvenos La Foni” uses two spinning wheel guitar pickings mixed with cello and flute and clarinet arrangement, is comparable to this. The arrangements have a bit more “progressive” moves and changes, with rocking bass drive themes somewhere. This is a song in esperanto. I very much like the sound of the group here. Promising !

Audio and info : http://www.myspace.com/reverieweb

Homepage : http://www.reverieweb.com

next review ->

privateReverie : Shakespeare, la donna, il sogno (I,2008)****

Reverie for their first official release developed a very serious concept for it. Their skills and interests very much are developed from playing Renaissance music, so their Play starts from playing this sort of music while being confronted with the best of English Renaissance theatre, standing for one of the core fundaments and development for English language, culture and acting/playing roles, symbol for plays from an eternal archetypic nature, where characters are brought to stage and then die, so that stay outside real life, like myths that work only as creative projects to deal with experiences from : William Shakespeare, and also develop the fantasy for a dark haired lady. In that way, 4 songs are based upon Shakespeare’s lyrics, and there are another 4 old English traditionals (from 16th to 17th century), and one completely self-penned instrumental. One bonus track is in esperanto. Many of these songs are a transmission of Renaissance music into a folk-chamber version, perfectly suitable to feed ourselves best in our contemporary world. The art-folk approach and the singer’s lead voice with good variations in singing and a beautiful colour of voice, in the more melodic moments could also bring the English band Renaissance in mind. On the “Sonetto 130”, which I knew already from the demo, once more I’m reminded, because of the singing, melodic quality and arrangements of the old Yugoslavian band Sedmina. Mostly the arrangements are led by guitar, flute or clarinet and cello, but also some keyboards. These keyboards are the least like old music, but they add a different character which still suits the music well. The second and last bonus track is also especially rewarding for it’s more symphonic art approach in the arrangements, with some interesting guitar chords changes mixed with clarinet worth checking out. Very good !!

Audio and info : http://www.myspace.com/reverieweb

Homepage : http://www.reverieweb.com