Leaf Label      Colleen : Les Ondes Silencieuses (F,2007)****

I didn’t know what to expect next after the first two albums of Colleen, but this new album succeeded in surprising me. From a previous basically moody overtone collage territory, this new album has more a contemporary feeling, especially in the moody 2-notes-at-once layered harmonies on the (cello-like) viola da gamba improvisations. Most used instruments have similarly built closely-living melodic harmonies which are used on each instrument, like on the (harpsichord-like) spinet, or clarinet, or on the (Tibetan bowl like sounds, in glass, of) crystal glass, while guitar pickings are mixed with, what I think are different pickings instruments, sometimes with an extra layer of a (more viola-like, this time) viola da gamba. The tracks build up from one to the next, first improvisation-like and minimal to some degree, in a meditative way, as if from one quiet spot of sounds-in-environment meditations. The last few tracks seem to resume the meditation field but a bit into a moody contemporary classical piece, moving slightly forward in mind, like walking around in the woods like elves ; this is played by (harp-like) classical guitar (and a second minimalist and rhythmical acoustic guitar) and (a more lower toned, slowly moving) clarinet. This movement more and more reveals something which looks like the image on the front cover of the CD. The elves-like movements move like butterflies in the forest. The guitar pickings thoroughly go to the centre of the forest and reveal there the ‘viola da gamba’ player in the middle, who invented this whole creation, and imagined the mood in it with this instrument, and then plays a last highlight with it with dignity.

Audio on homepage : http://www.myspace.com/colleenmusique

Homepage : http://www.colleenplays.org/

Other review with 3 audio tracks : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=34664

Other reviews : http://www.dotshop.se/ds/release.php?code=BAY57CD

& http://www.posteverything.com/artists/release.php?id=18930

& http://www.incendiarymag.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1285

& http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/reviews/review.asp?id=4711

Dutch review : http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/colleen/les-ondes-silencieuses

2 of her 3 previous releases reviewed on http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/psychfolkpopreview3.html

Audio Dregs      Melodium : Flacana Flacana (F,2006)***'

Melodium is a one man project by Laurent Girard with already several releases since 1999. His music on this CD sounds like a 21st century version, -as music on a CD-, of a musical box. All tracks are very minimal/minimalistic, circle-loop like, like living on cradle rhythms as lullabies, based upon simple acoustic guitar or piano repetitions, or organ, with layers of glockenspiel, and a few loops of reverb or of electronica, and here and there a original minimal percussion based upon some rhythmic clicks in an environmental recording.

Audio : http://www.rhapsody.com/melodium/flacanaflacana

Label with audio : http://www.audiodregs.com/

and info on group : http://www.audiodregs.com/artists/melodium.html

& http://autresdirections.net/inmusic/article.php3?id_article=1

Description : http://www.darla.com/catalog/search.asp?id=11829

Homepage (with audio) : http://melodiumbox.free.fr/

and with audio : http://www.myspace.com/melodiumbox

Review with 3 audio tracks : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=24909

Description with 4 audio tracks : http://www.smallfish.co.uk/shop/browse/?aid=11027

French review : http://www.etherreal.com/magazine/disques/?file=melodium_flacanaflacana

Barl Fire Rec.      Nihil Project : Plough Plays (I,2006)***

One thing is sure, after having heard three releases of the group : you cannot place and keep them in one category or description. As quickly as they jump into some style, they already move to the next idea. “Plough plays” focused on the English folk heritage and scene, without belonging there. And this makes it again very interesting. “Unquiet Grave/Twa Corbies” has rather unusual ideas for arrangements of these English traditionals, filtering in. “Days of Yore” referring to the Green Man (Wickerman ?) has some harpsichord (?), flute and whistle harmonies, violin and lyra de braccio, zither, multiple vocal harmonies, done with a medieval flavour, but also a ritual rhythm, and with a penetrating bowed double bass coming in. “Weaving Wheat” clearly refers to the  Wowen Wheat Whispers ‘wyrd’ folk support community. It has Sean Breadin (Sedayne) on a couple of instruments, and lots of electronic rhythms on top of that, piano, mellotron, vocals, tabla, added one by one, or in harmonic improvisation. “The River” is a chamber orchestrated track which could recall better folk tracks too, not necessarily English (it would compare perfectly with Czech’s master Vaclavek’s singing and guitar). To stylistically defuse more, the track also has some sequenced rhythm. With “Hobby Horse” Nihil Project leaves the folk association slowly as fluently as they entered it, with a clever rhythmic semi-classical arrangement (violin, flute,..) in combination with attractively composed programmed keyboards, and edited arrangements. Also “On Bennachle” shows a (typical for Nihil Project) complex bunch of arrangements of colourful rhythmical keyboards and many other close sounds of instruments, birds and with Alan Davidson (Kitchen Cynics) on vocals on the first part, and with Simon Lewis (Phoenix Cube) on the second. A loop of a pipe reminds us we’re still watching over England. “Sataday People” continues in rhythm and multilayered world and has also cooperation from other English musicians. “Ussington Hall Well” is a very psychedelic slightly ritualistic track which is also melodically complex, with a few more people helping on it. On “Aloha Song” Gav Dunn, in a weird folk fashion, sings his song, while mandolins, banjo and one guitar and post-sixties background vocal arrangements (“papampam” & “uuhuu”), a track which flows into a psychedelic trip called “The infinite” with multiple layers that all have their own life support in the evolution, like an ethereal keyboard, acoustic percussion, screaming guitar, and violin, evolving to more sections, like with didgeridoo until “how many times” brings us to a quiet pause with a Fender Rhodes.

I have the impression that the English influence spreads an air of fine spray of water into the music of the Italian duo. The almost bombastic arrangements on some tracks from previous albums are now clearing up through perfect balances, which give a much more overwhelming effect over the whole line. There’s so much happening in the music that it will take a very long time for any listener to hear all secret stairways and happenings in one listen. At the same time the album has a compact flow which makes the music satisfactory over the whole line.

Audio : "Unquiet Grave / Twa Corbies" (or here), "Weaving Wheat", "Days of Yore"

Homepage : http://www.nihilproject.org/ & with audio : http://www.myspace.com/nihilproject

Label info : http://homepages.tesco.net/~beautiful.day/Barl_Fire_Recordings_PloughPlays.htm

Review with audio and official download : http://www.wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk/...

Other reviews : http://www.unimeri.com/PsychotropicZone/...

& http://www.radiomute.com/26617-two-new-psychedelic-folk-releases.html#post403494

Nihil's Project's 2003 album is reviewed on http://progressive.homestead.com/prog5.html#anchor_94

Nihil's Project 2005 album is reviewed on http://progressive.homestead.com/prog10.html#anchor_127

GO TO NEXT REVIEW PAGE->

or see

the psychedelic folk index page

or the full index

"Psychedelic" Folkpop reviews page 6 :

Listed on this page : Nihil Project, Melodium, Walk With The Penguin, Efterklang,

Colleen, Jaggery, Smell Of Incense, Múm, link to the folktronica releases

People interested in the items on the psychfolkpop pages

could be interested in the folktronica items too which are reviewed on

http://www.progressive.homestead.com/prog13.html & http://www.progressive.homestead.com/prog13B.html

You can have a look there before continuing browsing these review pages

Amorfon      Walk With The Penguin : Steal a spoon for you (SERB/JAP,2007)****

The cooperation between Serbian Cinc and Japanese steel drum artist Yoshio Machida grew over the years, and they managed to play and record also in real time with each other. This direct cooperation (compositions by both entities) works better than ever before, and reached a new level. A bit of electronica fun to the acoustic sounds to a very alternative rock sound which keeps the acoustic sounds as foundations, gives a highly original, and pleasant sound formed from well arranged combinations of sounds and happy melodies. This goes from a Cocorosie kind of home made fun (on “Tom & Jerry”) to chamber like mini arrangements, to electropop. The fact that there is no real drummer, gives lots of attention to an increased number of gentle happy and positive sounds. Recommended ; for me this is the best Cinc related release so far.

Hearing the group’s result, I am glad that steel drum player Yoshio Machida insisted to continue with Cinc despite the fact that they live the other ends of the world ! It is as if they found here the best kind of musical partnership.

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

Label : http://www.amorfon.com

Other reviews : http://www.lefthip.com/review_detail.php?reviewID=834

& http://www.adequacy.net/review.php?reviewID=8015

Rumracket/Leaf Rec. Efterklang : Under Giant Trees (DK,2007)****

The small portion of PC-deviced rhythmic evolutions of clicks, which in an earlier generation could only be generated as a tape cutting-and-pasting technique (with longer time intervals in those days), still is present, as one of the subtle layers, enriched and alternated with strings and trumpet, with a chamber music-like feeling,  and developed like a filmic-theatre piece. The music was originally written to be performed live during concerts from 2005. The subtle orchestrated feeling (with many guests) still originates from a new or art rock band, with its own, new vision, using piano, harp, guitar, glockenspiel, Fender Rhodes, …, guitar and strings with larger instrumental section to songs, where other members sing along, not like a classical inspired choir, but in a sing-a-long way, with a few occasional weird harmonies. The album is a fine contribution to the area of groups like Silver Mt.Zion, Cerberus Shoal, in a more moody and complex-linear evolving way. Another convincing album, by this talented group, a limited and numbered edition of 4500 CDs and 1200 white vinyl copies.

Audio :"Towards the Bare Hill" & on http://www.myspace.com/efterklang & short audio : http://www.mp3stor.com/...

Homepage : http://www.efterklang.net/

Review with 3 audio tracks : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=31890

Other reviews : http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/vgn8/

& http://www.puddlegum.net/efterklang-giant-trees-ep-april-2

& http://www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk/reviews/review.asp?id=4660

& http://www.playlouder.com/review/+under-giant-tree/

& http://www.dotshop.se/ds/release.php?code=DOCK46CD&rand=184976585

& http://www.nme.com/reviews/efterklang/8433

& http://angryape.com/news/2007/02/efterklang-to-release-under-giant-trees-mini-album

& http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/1829894

Dutch review : http://www.goddeau.com/content/view/3392

Solo project of singer Anna Broensted as Our Broken Garden on next page->

private      Jaggery : Polyhymnia, the music of song (US,2006) ?

private        Jaggery : In Lethe EP (US,2004) ?

Even when especially the full releases would fit with Faun Fables well,

and despite the fact it features Jesse Sparhawk,

it is not really that much Acid Folk related and moved to

http://singersong.homestead.com/MedievalDCD.html#anchor_62

September Gurls Rec. Smell Of Incense : Of Ullages and Dottles (N,2007)**** 

I believe that Smell Of Incense have made with this album their best record to date. Their sound is very consistent and the arrangements are full and complete to the point of reaching "perfection", in that way the arrangements almost sound like they areg orchestrated. This gives a very completing feeling so that there are hardly are words left to say, because there are no strange aspects and the kind of contrasts left to notice to make some aspects stand out more. Smell Of Incense definitely is based in a neo-sixties flavoured, well arranged, psychpop style. With this they open up a fantasy-like world which is song based, and highly melodious and charming. The arrangements of the guitars are closely interwoven with mellotrons, flutes and percussions mostly, but also various other instruments (like mandolin, sitar, harpsichord,…) fill all the rest of the space for it completely. Just the last track I can lift out a small section with a spacerock psychedelica association somewhere, and another section with a faded out electronic music fantasy. Recommended.

Lyrics are based upon mostly fantasy/romantic authors like Mary Cicely Barker, William Blake, William Ernest Henley, Richard Watson Dixon, George McDonald, Henry W. Longfellow, Hydra Greece, Mervyn Peake, and Dr.Brt.Blaster.

PS. The first edition of the LP of 1000 copies contains a nice looking song book (from which I show here the front cover and one inner page).

Label info on http://www.septembergurlsrecords.com/...

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

German description on http://www.kozmik-artifactz.com/...

Dutch review : http://www.velvetmusic.nl/shopping/product_details.php?id=4002699&lang=nl

Fan page on http://www.psychedelic-music.net/...

Fat-Cat Rec. Múm : Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy (ICE,2007)**** 

It has been 3 years since Múm came up with a real new release. In the meantime some reissues of older work and some appearances of Múm's singer kept the memory on the group fresh. Much of this album was recorded in an old school house, but one song dates back from a much earlier period. Stylistically some of it is a fashionable folktronic pop expression as we know it from Múm. Somewhere I can also recognise some inspirations that might have derived directly from the playground in the schools. While children want to imagine and be in a comic-book coloured circus-like heaven to dream away in, there’s also a destructive selfish experimenting and exploring limits of expressions. With this, some forms of empathy can only learned from a teaching process from responsible and time-giving adults. A title like “they made frogs smoke till they exploded” reminds me of this. It is about that consciousness, not being kind to animals. In the video you can see the destructive vision coming back to the kids being restored in some time, after self-destructive exaggerations. Just one part of the album is built up by playful and colourful musical toys and other arrangements which make a heavenly delightful pop music. I hear almost something like a slowed down Bach theme on keyboards on “I little bit, sometimes”. Beautiful dual vocal harmonies here sound as close as if from one united couple’s creative mind. Later on, the play game area matured, widening its intensions. Several of these new tracks sound more like a serious and descriptive, story-telling pop opera, something which defines another sound evolution for Mum. From these tracks I can firstly lift out the 6th track, “Marmalade Fires”, which also contains a beautiful string orchestra with harp arrangement. The 7th track, “Huubarbidoo”, however could easily be a miniature for a children television series. Also track 8, “Dancing behind my eyelids”, gives a new, modern vivid and rhythmic version of Mum, while “Guilty Rocks”, could be a first conclusion for this renewed sound, making  ttheatre, pop, and fun go hand in hand. Also the last track, “Winter (What We Never Were After All)” sounds like a kind of pop-opera ending, dramatic and very filmic, with choir-like arrangements, a bit of brass, rhythmic evolution. A serious new and convincing renewed launch of the group based upon the same, but further developed attractive sound they have built up over the years. 

Audio : Audio : "Behind the Eyelids" (or here) ; Video : "They Made Frogs Smoke Til They Exploded"

& http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=47119

Info : http://angryape.com/news/2007/08/mum-reveal-go-go-smear-the-poison-ivy-album-details

& http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?p=INS37539

Label info with audio : http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/release.php?id=233

About the single : http://www.musicomh.com/singles/mum-2_0807.htm

Info on group : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BAm

Homepage : http://mumweb.net/ & http://www.myspace.com/mumtheband

Other reviews : http://www.herohill.com/2007/07/reviews-mum-go-go-smear-poison-ivy.htm

& http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A26396283 & http://www.fusion3.com/works/FATLP46/

Previous albums are reviewed here, and on http://progressive.homestead.com/prog13.html