STEVE STOECKEL The Power of And CD (Big Stir)
Debut solo album from Spongetones vocalist/bassist Steve Stoeckel, comprising 15 songs, most below the three-minute mark. Laura Lynn is punchy 60s-tinged pop with mod and Merseybeat tendencies, beefed up with a chuggy powerpop rhythm. Birds is really beautiful acoustic-based pop that reminds me at times of The Orchids (especially Long Drawn Sunday Night which uses a very similar guitar melody) and also The Harvest Ministers. The Emerald Sea is musically and lyrically Irish-inspired, with an inventive pairing of penny whistle and intense rock guitar. Why is a duet with Irene Peña, combining sweet catchy pop with elements of country. Heather Gray has a distinctive sense of melody that recalls Lal Waterson, combined at times with hints of The Beatles circa Eleanor Rigby. The album closes with Whistling Past Graveyards, a dark, spiky pop-rock number with proggy twists and turns. Steve Stoeckel explores a wide variety of styles on this album, though nothing ever sounds out of place. Well worth checking out. Visit www.bigstirrecords.com

CHRIS CHURCH Radio Transient CD (Big Stir)
In many ways, this latest album from Chris Church has much in common with commercial 1980s pop and soft rock, though the songs have an originality that sets them apart from the bland homogeneous side of much mainstream music. GCRT sets forceful quickfire vocals to an atmospheric liquid arrangement peppered with the spacey whirrs and burbles of vintage synths. I Don't Wanna Dance With Me has a songwriting style that puts me in mind of Tim Jones, who with his bands Somebody Famous, Body Full of Stars, and The Rabbit's Hat, made music that was very accessible and radio friendly yet infused with an underground spirit. One More Chance to Get Over You is gutsy pop-rock adorned with chiming 12-string. Gotta Go, Gotta Ramble is hugely catchy pop with multifaceted twists and turns, taking in more of that ultra-jangly 12-string guitar, and synths that range from twinkling ethereality to an insistent rhythmic pulse, while extra depth and texture is provided by backing vocals from Lindsay Murray of Gretchen's Wheel. Flip is really strong pop-rock with an inventive musical setting in which the guitar chimes and the synths swirl, whoosh and pulsate, alongside a textured vocal arrangement featuring Chris and Lindsay's intertwined voices. A really impressive album that has the potential to appeal to a huge audience while maintaining the free-thinking, sometimes almost outright quirky, inventiveness more often associated with niche underground artists. Get it at www.bigstirrecords.com

THE HIGSONS Run Me Down: The Complete 2Tone Recordings LP (Sartorial)
2Tone is a byword for a particular brand of punked-up ska, but around 1982 the label started broadening its output to include other genres. One of the signings from this era were post-punk funk pioneers The Higsons, who included amongst them Charlie 'Switch' Higson, who would later go on to be an actor, author and TV scriptwriter, and Terry Edwards, prolific solo artist and session musician who is also in the Near Jazz Experience alongside Higsons drummer Simon Charterton. This LP compiles all The Higsons' material released on the 2Tone label, in a limited edition of 500 copies released on Record Store Day, 22nd April 2023. Ylang Ylang features wild parping brass and funky rhythms combined with a post-punk angularity; Run Me Down adds a pop aspect to the spiky funk sound with the addition of keyboards and luxurious layered female backing vocals; and Put the Punk Back into Funk does exactly that with its pairing of shouty vocals, political lyrics and scratchy noise with a lopsided funk rhythm and melodic brass instrumental section. Available in record shops, distributed by Cargo. More info at www.facebook.com/higsons

TRACE IMPRINT Golitha Falls aka Serotonin LP/DL (self-released)
Trace Imprint is a project of multi-instrumentalist Jon Chinn who has previously recorded as Darkships and Jonathon Heron, and worked with the likes of Trappist Afterland, Astralasia, and the Mushroom Project. Here Jon plays a wide array of instruments, accompanied by Dan Gunning on percussion. This album, which is inspired by two years of immersion within the landscape of Cornwall's Golitha Falls nature reserve, comprises extracts from the soundtrack to an accompanying film. The original LP entitled Golitha Falls was released in Spring 2021 but then kind of shelved. A new edition, retitled Serotonin, has recently been made available. The original LP has a printed sleeve, while the Serotonin edition has hand-glued cover art with limited designs that change after every five to ten copies. Both versions can be found on Bandcamp.
The scene is set by Sweet Morning, a brief snippet of incidental music based around hypnotic electronics and processed birdsong and dog barks. Invocation features an Eastern-informed melody and tabla rhythms underscored by glacial drones, while fretless bass lends a contemporary jazz undercurrent to the piece. Procession to Succession blends elements of prog, psych, ambient and more into a cohesive whole, with intricate and often intense guitar soloing, tablas, jazzy bass, calming drones and pulsing electronics. Canopy Communication treads a similar path to the hauntological sound-artists featured on A Year in the Country's themed compilations, with its dark-hued analogue synth melody and squelching background electronics; birdsong has never sounded this sinister. As the Light Returns, We Radiate Colours is the gloriously psychedelic title of a multifaceted piece that takes folk as its starting point. An intricate folky guitar melody is accompanied at various points by softly evocative drones, pealing glockenspiel, jazzy fretless bass, whirring spacey electronics and tribal percussion, the overall vibe being something like a more English-sounding version of the experimental folk-jazz that comes out of the Nordic countries.
The music here travels across genre boundaries with ease, defying categorisation into a single narrow style. As well as the LP which this review relates to, there is also a download with bonus material including spoken word (one of the narrators being Maxine Peake), images and music from the film. All variants of the album are available at traceimprint.bandcamp.com

NICK ASTON Limone Sul Garda CDR
As well as being in Mystic Village alongside former Sea Urchin Robert Cooksey, Nick Aston also makes solo recordings in film soundtrack style. This album was originally intended for release on Robert's label Bobby Bongo Records in 2019, but there's some uncertainty over whether or not it will actually come out, as Nick has made newer music since that may end up being released instead. This review therefore simply serves as an introduction to this artist and an announcement that he has music recorded that may be released in future, if not this particular album.
Italian Incidental is centred around a hypnotically repeating harpsichord melody underlined by gently swelling drones. Theme Two features dramatic, intense use of harpsichord and organ. The Fourth Horizon is the album's six minute centrepiece, beginning as a neoclassical piano piece ornamented by 1970s cinematic organ, gentle in tone though building up to some big dramatic crescendos. The piece takes an effectively unexpected turn with its incorporation of disco and funk aspects swathed in an ethereal shimmer. Incident! is an unsettling piece with a dissonant melody accompanied by rumbling electronics; I can see the film veering off down a surreal horror route at this point. Line is mellow and melancholic all at once, based around plaintive harpsichord and piano alongside soaring flute and meandering retro organ. In Endtitle, twinkling celesta soars above a contemplative piano melody, creating a dreamlike ethereality.
These are hugely impressive compositions and it would be a great shame if they were never released. See also this review for more info on Nick Aston's work with Mystic Village.

ANGUS McOG Cirrus CD/LP/DL (Gare du Nord)
You might expect a band named after the Irish mythical figure Aengus mac Óg to play Celtic folk, but these Italians led by Antonio Tavoni actually make a mature brand of pop that takes in an eclectic variety of influences and makes them their own. The album opens with the title track, Radiohead-meets-Coldplay songwriting set to sophisticated cinematic orchestration. Lou is grown-up indie pop with an Americana heart, arranged with shimmering Fender Rhodes piano, jangly guitar and an extended psychedelic outro. Chances is piano-driven folk-tinged pop that packs more of a punch than that description suggests, incorporating mariachi trumpet, background vocalisations that recall Laurie Anderson's O Superman, and an intense early 70s-ish rock guitar solo which leads to the song's abrupt end. Sirens is formed around an icy drone backbone, overlaid by piano, military drums, and Nick Drake-esque acoustic guitar. The hypnotic, ethereal organ intro that opens Communist Party Party is in keeping with the rest of the album, but as the song develops, it begins to sound like a completely different band. It's punchy, catchy powerpop 'n' roll, which segues into a twangy, Western movie-ish interlude then onto driving noisy guitar riffage and ending with bursts of wailing brass. Find out more via linktr.ee/angusmcog

THE CHURCH The Hypnogogue CD/LP (Easy Action)
The Church is a band I've heard of for many years but never knowingly heard until now. They've been variously tagged as rock, psych, goth and prog, and at the same time, jangly indie pop bands often get compared to them. I'd been curious to hear them for that last reason, but with such a vast back catalogue dating back to 1980, it was impossible to know where to begin. The band started out on major labels, but as mainstream music became increasingly bland and homogeneous, there was less room for creative bands like The Church in that world anymore, so they moved to a variety of independent labels, the latest being Easy Action, who have released their 26th album The Hypnogogue.
Opening track Ascendence sees the band at their most proggy, with bombastic drums, dramatic sweeping guitar atmospherics, and changeable song structure, coupled with the dark edginess of goth. Flickering Lights is sophisticated and cinematic, featuring piano shrouded in a glacial, ethereal noisescape. The Hypnogogue is heady gothic psychedelia with swirling riffage over sharp guitar noise and chugging bass. My personal favourites on this album include the hazy, dark-edged neo-psychedelia of C'est la Vie, the folk-tinged Albert Ross, and the magnificent pealing jangle pop of Aerodrome. Available at easyaction.co.uk

VARIOUS Elemental Child: The Words and Music of Marc Bolan double LP/CD (Easy Action)
Easy Action Records celebrate the work of the late Marc Bolan with this extensive compilation album, sold in aid of the Light of Love Foundation to make a bore hole for clean water at the Marc Bolan School of Music in Sierra Leone, the project set up by Marc's partner Gloria Jones. There's a highly eclectic mix of artists here, from pop to hard rock and much, much more besides, but the music is held together cohesively by the thread of Marc Bolan's songwriting. The songs range from Marc's early solo material through to Tyrannosaurus Rex and then on to T. Rex. The LP is nicely presented, on double orange vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with colourful psychedelic art. Several of the songs are exclusive to this compilation. The album is also available on double CD with different artwork and a few extra tracks.
The LP begins with Sylvie Vartan's French version of Beyond the Rising Sun, Il Faut Trouver Son Coin De Ciel, orchestrated pop with light airy flute and vocal harmonies, a recording that dates back to 1966. Andy Ellison, Marc's bandmate from John's Children, joins up with Boz Boorer for a version of Third Degree with an authentic 60s-style beat sound. Swervedriver contribute an indie rock version of Chateau in Virginia Waters. Witchwood's Child Star is sweeping, swirling psychedelia taking in a heavy folk-rock instrumental section. Classically trained singer Catherine Lambert's version of Wind Cheetah features a beautiful orchestrated arrangement centred around classical guitar and cello. Tarwater's Visit is a hypnotic piece with post-rock and soundtrack inclinations.
Chris Connelly and the Liquid Gang provide some off-kilter, atmospheric psychedelia with their version of Cat Black (The Wizard's Hat). Burn it to the Ground combine metal with dancey electronics in their hard-hitting version of one of the most famous T. Rex songs, Children of the Revolution. Automatic Shoes' Lofty Skies is pure psych-folk beauty. Speedtwinn provide a country-rock Spaceball Ricochet, and The Polecats a rockabilly Jeepster. Rachel Stamp give us a wild rendition of Calling All Destroyers, from the heavier end of glam rock. Schwefel provide an inventive version of Visions of Domino, based around a relentless electronic pulse, samples, heavy guitar and untamed sax soloing.
The album shows those only casually acquainted with the music of Marc Bolan that there was far more to his work than just the big glam hits like Get it On, while also exposing a varied selection of talented current artists to a wider audience. Available at easyaction.co.uk

ELLI DE MON Pagan Blues CD/LP (Area Pirata)
If you think blues-rock is a dull, plodding, cliched genre, this is an album that will make you think again. Elli de Mon, a true one-woman band who plays all instruments on this album, takes blues as a starting point for her almighty noise, a raw, unrestrained sound that's just as influenced by garage punk as blues. There's the intense vocal howl and thrashed-out riffage of I Can See You; the bleak, gothic folk-blues of Star; Ticking, with its heavy riffs, wailing feedback and forceful vocals over a clock-like rhythmic backdrop; and Siren's Call, which takes blues down an Eastern route with its mystical chanting, swirling sitar, and raga-like guitar solo swathed in distortion. A powerful, exciting listen, taking blues far outside the narrow confines of genre purism. Well worth checking out. Visit www.areapirata.com

CLAUDIO CATALDI The Age of Nova CD/DL (self-released)
Claudio Cataldi's new album The Age of Nova was recorded over a 7 year period in various locations across the UK, Australia and Italy, and makes for an eclectic yet cohesive listen. The Welcome Party could be described as neoclassical post-rock, featuring a Hood-like guitar melody alongside a sophisticated string arrangement courtesy of Aldo Ammirata. I'm Out of Tune is 60s-informed psychedelia with swirling organ, liquid guitar soloing and joyous 'ooh-ooh' vocals. Godless is raw gothic blues, with a grimy guitar sound and the intense distorted vocals of guest singer Ian Bonnar of In Every Dream a Nightmare Waits. House of Noise is mellow, drawn-out neo-psych swathed in fuzzed-out atmospherics and snippets of heady backwards guitar. The Wooden House is a very lovely instrumental just over one minute long, pairing delicate ukulele strumming with the sophistication of cello and piano. Northern River Park is an astonishingly beautiful acoustic track somewhere between contemporary folk and the more contemplative side of indie pop. Mention must also be made of the impressive swirling colourful psychedelia of Dale Simpson's sleeve art. CD copies will be available exclusively in the goodie bags given out at the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus festival, though the album can also be downloaded at claudiocataldi.bandcamp.com

MARGERY DAW & KITCHEN CYNICS No Bigger Fools CD (Aaraas Platemakar)
This album was originally released on streaming services by Shambotic Recordings, and has now been made available on CD by new Norwegian label Aaraas Platemakar, in a digipak featuring the trademark Kitchen Cynics collage art. The long-running and prolific psych-folk project Kitchen Cynics has teamed up here with an artist with the nursery rhyme-inspired moniker of Margery Daw, who plays a similarly eclectic mix of instruments as Alan Cynic, and expands the eclecticism with the range of voices she uses here, from the refined RP recitation of Bullfinches to the brash Cockney music hall of The Ghost of Marie Lloyd on the X7. The music covers a similar territory to Alan's solo Kitchen Cynics work, putting an experimental, psychedelic spin on folk music, along with bizarre sound-art pieces that go all out with the experimentation. Lyrics draw from the beauty of nature, as well as the weird and gruesome sides of Aberdeen history.
Betty Hadden's Hand features a delicate harp melody and floaty, whirling theremin as backdrop for a tale inspired by an early 20th century murder victim whose arm was found floating in Aberdeen harbour. In Bullfinches, Margery reads out an assortment of facts about the titular birds and how they have been viewed across eras and cultures, from Henry VIII to Shinto, over a gentle, airy folk accompaniment. Calotype pairs an authentic-sounding traditional-style folk melody with spacey experimentalism. The Ghost of Marie Lloyd on the X7 imagines the music hall star coming back to haunt a local bus route, with Margery belting out a medley of music hall classics over a suitably ghostly soundscape taking in an ethereal, otherworldly mixture of dancing flute, humming singing bowl and clanging xylophone. It's a surreal listen and a lot of fun. Pigeon Devotion is a kind of experimental homemade opera inspired by pigeon calls, accompanied by woozy bowed bass and electronic drones. The CD is limited to 50 copies, available at aaraasplatemakar.bandcamp.com

DAVEY WOODWARD & THE WINTER ORPHANS Mystic Science LP (Old Bad Habits / Last Night From Glasgow)
Davey Woodward, formerly of The Brilliant Corners and The Experimental Pop Band and also of Karen, returns with the third album from his other current band, Davey Woodward and the Winter Orphans. The music here is a kind of alternative pop that combines a sense of sophistication with a raw, dark edge, drawing from a range of genres from the deep thinking, emotional indie pop of Hell to the grimy blues-rock of Call Me Satan. I didn't find the album as immediate as the music of Karen or The Brilliant Corners, but sticking with it, it's a real grower, with some truly superb tracks within.
After Midnight is a snapshot of a Christmas day with all its highs and lows, and is probably the only song to come out of the indie pop milieu to feature lyre, an original touch that I really appreciate. The punk-folk protest song Nationalists takes a sharp skewer to the rapidly shifting and increasingly polarised political landscape. Confetti brings in influences from all over to create a sound that escapes categorisation into a single genre yet manages to sound cohesive. Bleak lyrics ("They're rioting in the streets / And the police beat you to a pulp / [...] / Our liberty was taken / In a flash") are set to a country-tinged melody backed by a hazily juddering guitar sound, cornet evoking the mood of a smoky late night jazz club, and bongos adding extra texture.
Available on eco vinyl, with evocative cover art featuring a masked, tattooed woman shrouded in cotton-candy smoke, plus printed inner sleeve with lyrics, from oldbadhabitslabel.bandcamp.com or shop.lastnightfromglasgow.com

DAVID CW BRIGGS The Armchair Traveller CDR (Folk Archive)
The very prolific homemade recording artist David CW Briggs returns with new album The Armchair Traveller, the title track of which travels across garage-blues and atmospheric pop, with raw throaty guitar work and a punky assertiveness to the vocals. Slanted Sunlight Through a Grid of Trees is a psych-folk instrumental evoking the beauty of nature through a late-afternoon haze. Neighbour Hood Watch is lo-fi hometaper pop with a Syd Barrett-like eccentricity. A DCWB album wouldn't be a DCWB album without an extended epic track, and this album's example, That's It for the Long One, is an absolute corker. Beginning as classic psych-pop, the piece melds into an elongated instrumental combining spacey ambience, pealing jangle and a sitar-like twang. The piece exceeds 12 and a half minutes, yet never outstays its welcome. Available as a CDR limited to just 15 copies, or download, at davidcwbriggs.bandcamp.com

ZEUK Minutes Two CDR (Folk Archive)
Second installment of Zeuk's Minutes series, consisting of eclectic lo-fi songs less than a minute long. Among the 23 micro-songs on offer here are the rich, heady, gothic psychedelia of Ascent, the eccentric psych-pop of Fungus, the homemade folk of The Herd (They Move When They Move) with its spooky, airy flute and rattling found sounds, the medieval-tinged electric folk of Daisy, the ultra-lo-fi outsider pop of That Dog, and the angular improvisational weirdness of Violent Vinyl. The CD is limited to 25 copies, and comes with a free badge with Zeuk's Crow Spanner logo. Downloads are also available. Visit davidcwbriggs.bandcamp.com

THE VAXTONES Never Ending Story LP (Old Bad Habits)
The Vaxtones are a new Greek band consisting of members of several other bands, including amongst others The Last Drive, Scopitone, Xaxakes, and Maximum High. The title track is strongly melodic pop with cheery ba-ba-bas, an absolute must for fans of the classic indiepop sound. Never Understand is fun catchy pop with Buzzcocks/Undertones bite, that even includes a punky children's choir. The lyrics praise some celebs (Jamie Vardy, Marvin Gaye, Ru Paul etc) but hate "that guy in Coldplay". The Things We Never Learned is swingin' vocal jazz infused with a happy-go-lucky, sun-and-sandcastles indiepop spirit. The surfy twang of Sha-la-la reappears in Don't Tie Me Down alongside soul and 60s pop. I Could Be Dancing is a pure pop thrill, its chorus echoing Dreaming by Blondie. I Cannot Write a Happy Song opens with a woozy, late night jazz intro, giving way to a choppy, post-punk funk sound that brings to mind some of the work of Terry Edwards. This is a great, ultra-melodic album that will surely appeal to fans of C86-era bands like Talulah Gosh, The Flatmates or The Primitives, while simultaneously looking far beyond that scene for inspiration, with songs that put an indiepop spin on genres such as soul, jazz and surf. Limited to 250 hand-numbered copies, with printed inner sleeve with lyrics and free Vaxtones sticker. Available at oldbadhabitslabel.bandcamp.com

SWARME OF BEESE Fruits of the Golden Land LP/CD/DL (Backwoods Modern Recordings)
Second album from this superb Texan folk outfit consisting of vocalists/guitarists Stephen Canner and Lynne Adele, violin/viola player Stefan Keydel (also of Dreihasenbild), and guest multi-instrumentalist Mark Addison. The album sounds steeped in history, as if 19th century folk musicians were brought back to life and catapulted into the psychedelic era. Like the folk ballad tradition of old, the lyrics are of equal importance to the music, telling vivid stories rich with evocative, poetic imagery.
Turpentine is the gruesome tale of a turpentine-drinking multiple murderer, briefly incorporating psychedelic vocal effects that add a surreal element to the piece. The band's musical approach, summed up by their label name Backwoods Modern Recordings, is also reflected in the lyrics here, the main character being a product of a whole other era to his cheerleader love interest and the high school boys who meet a sticky end.
Angel on Wings of Steel is a prime slice of gothic folk with harrowing lyrical realism. Bright October Day retells the famous murder ballad Omie Wise from Omie's perspective, the lyrics so poignant they moved me to tears. The piece shows a clear love and understanding of the historical folk tradition, while subtly psychedelic touches are provided by the spacey whoosh of the analogue synth.
Distant Father's authentically traditional-style melody lingers in the mind long after the record has finished, continuing to move and astonish. This is exactly the kind of song that reminds me just why I love folk music. The piece's cinematic ending, with neoclassical strings accompanied by rumbling thunder, is the perfect way to close the album.
The cover art is also worthy of mention, a reimagining by Dan Barry of a still life by 19th century artist Frances Flora Bond Palmer. You see the beauty of the fruits of nature first, then looking again you see the surreal and unnerving eyes looking back at you from within the flowers. This blend of 19th century art and strange, eerie modernity is a perfect match for the band's music. A truly excellent album, as was its 2022 predecessor Backwoods of my Mind. Visit www.swarmeofbeese.com

SOFT HEARTED SCIENTISTS Waltz of the Weekend CD (The Hip Replacement)
The Soft Hearted Scientists return after a seven year break with this huge 75 minute album that illustrates well their highly creative brand of psychedelic pop, which achieves a perfect balance of accessibility and quirkiness. What Grows Inside the Garden is truly flawless ultramelodic psych-pop, featuring an effective mixture of chiming guitar, spacey synth burbles, atmospheric Mellotron and more. Waltz of the Weekend is an ambitious, multi-part piece with heady verses full of swirling sitar, uplifting waltz choruses and an interlude that brings ancient Egypt to modern Wales. Rode My Bike is whimsical and wacky in the best way, with a lopsided melody overlaid with recited lyrics like a kind of psychedelic rap, slowing right down with harpsichord-arrayed beauty and back again, before morphing into Gadzooks!, a variation on the same song that juxtaposes tinkling harpsichord with bombastic rock guitar, along with a distorted underwater vocal section. The Fixer must surely be the most catchy and cheerful song ever to be written about a contract killer, riff-driven and layered with engaging electronic sound effects. Creepers and Vines is about having a hangover, and makes hangovers sound like a thing of beauty with its delicate, intricate guitar and keyboard melodies, cinematic effects and lyrics that reveal an intelligent wit. An essential album for fans of psychedelic pop. Available at softheartedscientists4.bandcamp.com

DAVID REID Shadows and Shades CD/DL (Secret Shark)
Solo instrumental album from The Contrast's David Reid. Every track here was performed on a single guitar, recorded live with no loops or overdubs, with David explaining that he uses the instrument to make a complete arrangement with all the necessary elements. The resulting fullness of the arrangements often creates an illusion of more than one musician at work, though it's David doing everything, all at once, on a single guitar. The pieces here were written as "music for imaginary movies", and carry an appropriately cinematic atmosphere. Whilst drawing inspiration from a number of genres, from folk to jazz-blues to film score, David has put his own distinctive stamp on these styles, creating a cohesive listening experience. Tulpa is tense and resonant, the guitar providing the bass and percussion parts as well as the main melody. No Words and Flying Things both have an intricate beauty, with melodies that hint at medieval madrigals. The Bright Shining Night is superb electric folk with a glorious chiming jangly sound. There's also the brooding, horror filmic Wendigo, the darkly swirling Shadows and Shades, and Corruption Blues with its aura of suspicion befitting a crime drama. Visit www.secretshark.co.uk

THE BRAINIAC FIVE Memory or Dream LP (High on the Pyg Track)
The Brainiac Five, psychedelic punks with a history stretching back to the late 70s, present their latest and possibly last ever album, featuring three out of four of the original 1970s members (Charlie Taylor, Woody, and Bert Biscoe) along with Duncan Kerr, formerly of Plummet Airlines, who joined The Brainiac Five when they reformed in 2012. Last Chance Town is juddering, jerky post-punk taking in an atmospheric interlude with kalimba, harmonica and chanting. The Ground is twisty-turny psych-punk with a funky bass line, more of that kalimba, Jew's harp, and bamboo flute played in a percussive style. The piece has a wackiness quotient high enough to appeal to fans of bands like Cardiacs, Wizards of Twiddly, or the quirkier side of Wobble Jaggle Jiggle.
The Admiral, Albert Terrace, Penzance 1978 comes from the more melodic side of the band but is no less off-centre in its own way; superb underground pop with a punky punch, taking occasional excursions into folk and psych territory. A Blind Man's Life is another excellent slice of melodic underground pop, this time adorned with wailing blues harmonica and chiming, flowing psych-folk-rock guitar work. Swerve returns to the band's spiky, angular side, with a choppy-changey structure overlaid with punky ranting and intense guitar solos. Cry in Style is folk-pop balladry that's surprisingly conventional when compared with everything else here, though certainly not in a bad way; its inclusion here emphasises the multifaceted capabilities of this band and makes it clear that there's more to them than quirk-factor and punk energy.
An enjoyably eclectic and inventive album that grows on me with each listen. Mention must also be made of John Hurford's colourful cover art showing the band's vintage tour van travelling along a snaking lane in the Cornish countryside, watched by the Green Man and a cawing crow. A full colour lyric sheet is also included. Visit www.pygtrack.com

AVI C ENGEL (formerly CLARA ENGEL) Sanguinaria cassette (Cruel Nature)
NB: This tape was released in June this year under the artist name Clara Engel, but since its release, the artist is now known as Avi C Engel. You will find references to Engel online under both names.
The Canadian multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter presents an album of original, inventive music combining contemporary dark folk with a filmic, soundscape-inspired approach. The album takes its name from the Latin name of bloodroot, a plant with pretty flowers and toxic roots, reflecting the coexistence of beauty and darkness within the music. At the same time, the name's combination of 'sanguine' and 'aria' ties in with how making music is a deeply life-affirming experience for Engel.
Sing in Our Chains is creative, intelligent pop, ethereally arranged with washes of icy ambience. Poisonous Fruit is darkly beautiful contemporary folk, accompanied by banjo and talharpa (Northern European bowed lyre), played in a manner that combines hints of Appalachian folk with a mystical Eastern atmosphere. Deathless is an atmospheric, dreamlike folk-pop gem, with stomping percussion, shimmering guitar, and the ambient hum of the talharpa providing the perfect backdrop.
A Silver Thread is engagingly spooky folk with vivid, poetic, horror-filmic lyrics accompanied by eerily wavering talharpa and lap steel. Larvae's haunting songwriting is backed by a soundscape of ringing kalimba and swelling drones, giving way to a hushed, gentle guitar melody.
The cassette's presentation is also worthy of mention, with on-body printing that envelops the tape in a red and black mist, within a folding cruciform card case, a work of art in itself. Only a few copies of the cassette remain at the time of writing, available at the Cruel Nature Bandcamp page. The album is also available as a download or CD from Avi C Engel's Elephant Shrew Editions label at Bandcamp.

SHAW'S TRAILER PARK s/t CD/LP/DL (Swamp Song)
The sleeve's unassuming caravan pics give no clues as to the greatness of the music contained within. The emphasis of this album is a garage sound exemplified by Don't Do That, a punchy, riff-driven track that catapults 1960s garage into the 21st century. Americana is another important ingredient, with songs like Sun Device, raw, dark and psychedelic, with a Wild West twang alongside parping sax and hypnotic psych riffage, and the laid-back Americana-infused psych-rock of Restraint, with its hazy vocal effects and mellow, liquid guitar work. One of the main highlights for me is Crash Landing, the sort of chiming jangler that's guaranteed to grab my attention, coming across like the meatier side of classic indie pop meeting something more psychedelic, really superb. Find out more at www.shawstrailerpark.co.uk

CULT FIGURES Between Us and Heaven CD/LP/DL (Gare du Nord)
Third album from this Midlands band with roots in the post-punk era, recorded by John Rivers at Woodbine Street Studios in Leamington Spa, a studio famous for big names like The Specials and Paul Weller, but also a favourite recording location for obscure indie pop bands, so synonymous with the pop underground that it inspired the name of Firestation Records' Sound of Leamington Spa compilation series. The album is dedicated to the memory of the band's original singer Gary Jones, whose life was tragically cut short last year. The band are now joined by two new members, Glaswegian poet Fraser Gillespie on vocals, and Steve May, ex-Das Fluff, on guitar. Gary is also present here with lyrical contributions and excerpts from a 1982 4-track recording, of which more in a moment.
The chiming ultramelodic pop of Mr Producer is contrasted with the choppy post-punk urgency of Voice of Reason, while the album also ventures into more overtly experimental territory in Never Take the Bus, where dissonant angularity is overlaid with punk poetry, and the aforementioned 1982 two-part piece Battle of the Beef Cakes, a zany take on Welsh male voice choral music, with all vocal parts provided by Gary. Although the album covers a broad ground, nothing ever sounds out of place. An excellent follow-up to the equally great Deritend (reviewed last issue); very much recommended for fans of indie pop and post-punk experimentalism alike. The CD comes in a 6-panel fold-out card sleeve with lyric booklet featuring the surreal artwork of Edwin Rostron. Visit www.facebook.com/cultfigures and garedunordrecords.co.uk

THE FIVE YEAR PLAN 1985 LP (Old Bad Habits/Breaking Down)
The Five Year Plan, named as an ironic joke, was an early band of Tim Rippington (Beatnik Filmstars, The Charlie Tipper Rebellion) and Rob Pursey (Heavenly, The Catenary Wires, Swansea Sound), also including Katy West, David Squire, and Phil Cox. They released a couple of singles in the 80s on Breaking Down Records, but an album never surfaced at the time. More recently they have reformed to record a collection of songs that were originally written between 1984 and 1985, plus one from their previous incarnation The Inane, from 1983. All original members named above play on the album except for Phil who had moved to Spain, so drum programming is instead provided by Rocker (The Flatmates, The Rosehips, Arrest! Charlie Tipper, etc), who has faithfully reproduced Phil's drum parts as they appeared on the original demos and live recordings. The band have chosen to play everything as it would have been played in 1985, no additions or edits.
Wiser Older But Wiser encapsulates that time in the 1980s when alternative music was starting to meld from post-punk into the beginnings of indie pop, taking the sweetly melancholic melody and jangly guitar sound of the latter genre and swathing them in a dark and icy post-punk atmosphere. In Camera pairs juddering guitar with soaring melodica to great effect, the song itself having shades of The Harvest Ministers, although written a fair few years before that band were even thought of. Peacetime Broadcast is almost folk; we're not talking nicey-nicey quaint folk but the kind of feeling you get from the darkest, bleakest murder ballad. The song is set within a brooding post-punk pop arrangement with liquid guitar and cinematic percussion, which is utterly beautiful. The Only One is the missing link between early 80s New Order and Brighter, while Touched in Time (by The Inane) is an effective pairing of on-edge post-punk urgency and joyous pealing pop.
An excellent album, strongly recommended for fans of post-punk and indie pop alike. Comes with inner and outer sleeve featuring band photos from then and now, alongside interesting and informative sleeve notes by Rob Pursey. Get it at oldbadhabitslabel.bandcamp.com

SISSY SPACE ECHO & THE INVISIBLE COLLABORATORS From a Land of Glass Without Mirrors LP (Old Bad Habits)
First album from Sissy Space Echo & the Invisible Collaborators, including everything they recorded for Next Phase: Normal Records plus some new material. The band has connections with Pop Threat, The Manhattan Love Suicides, The Blanche Hudson Weekend, and Girl One and the Grease Guns. Song for Jennifer is early 80s-informed pop, arrayed with retro synths that pulse, sparkle and swoop; it wouldn't sound out of place alongside Happy Robots label acts such as Rodney Cromwell and Arthur & Martha. Overstayer (Just a Simulator) sets dystopian lyrics to a brilliant mix of sci-fi synths and samples, dance beats, punky riffage and swirling psychedelic atmospherics. The Butterfly (Fill the Frame) is chiming psych-folk beauty filtered through an indiepop lens. (We Are) Subterranean combines a bouncy pop tune with pointed social commentary against a backdrop of swirling synth ambience, juddering rhythmic noise and whooshing spacey effects. An inventive mix of indiepop and vintage synth music, combining serious lyrical content with a musical sense of fun. The album is available on white vinyl, limited to 200 copies, with a hand-numbered sleeve. There is also a download available on Next Phase: Normal Records that features all songs from the LP plus bonus tracks, including the songs from their earlier and now sold out 7" on Old Bad Habits. Visit oldbadhabitslabel.bandcamp.com for the LP or sissyspaceechotheinvisiblecollaboratorstheedibleeyes.bandcamp.com for the download.

SPEED OF THE STARS s/t CD/LP (Easy Action)
Following on from The Church's latest album The Hypnogogue (reviewed above), Easy Action Records has begun a reissue programme of long-unavailable albums involving the band's founder Steve Kilbey. This self-titled album by Speed of the Stars, originally released in 2016, is a collaboration between Kilbey and Frank Kearns of Cactus World News. This new edition features all the material from the original release plus two new tracks. The music places the sophistication of prog into a pop setting, blending this with the dreamlike shimmer of neo-psychedelia. The woozily swirling Heliotrope; the hazy ethereality and gothic undertones of Nepenthe; Vela Velox with its floaty, spacey atmospherics over a softly chugging rhythmic backbone; and the delicate beauty of When You Think of Falling, artistically composed with a film soundtrack feel and incorporating literate, mythologically-informed lyrics, are a few of the notable tracks on offer here. The album has lots to appeal to anyone looking for an intelligent, sophisticated brand of dreampop with a dark edge and a progressive creativity. Available at easyaction.co.uk

ST JAMES INFIRMARY Abandoned cassette/download (Cruel Nature)
St James Infirmary has existed continuously since 1985, with founder G W Lang accompanied by a large revolving cast of musicians, six of whom appear on this particular album. The band is probably best known for their late 80s/early 90s indiepop releases on labels such as Lust and Woosh, but has since explored a variety of other genres such as experimental music and folk. This album sees the band venturing down an Americana route, with the homespun folk of When Our Ship Comes In, songs like Previous Women, Previous Towns and I Do Remember Having That Sickness which come across something like an indie Bob Dylan, and I Hate Your Child which combines country-era Byrds with a wry, dark sense of humour. Andrea Woodyer joins G W Lang on vocals for Old Fashioned Arms, a piece loaded with Western movie drama, with an excellent arrangement incorporating trumpet, harmonica, bells, and big rolling percussion. New Cards Please is lo-fi country-pop underscored by the rattly hiss of a 1980s drum machine, with organ drenching the song in a dreamlike atmospheric hum. The music combines the old and the new, the serious and the humorous, and incorporates grand-scale creativity into a stripped-down DIY approach, dichotomies that all serve to make this an effective and enjoyable set of songs. The tape is limited to just 35 copies, with only 3 remaining at the time of writing. Downloads are also available. Visit cruelnaturerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/abandoned

THE FOURTH FLOOR Home Demos No. 5 CDR (Bobby Bongo)
MYSTIC MOODS Song Sketches Autumn 2023
Earlier this issue I reviewed Limone Sul Garda by Mystic Village keyboardist/percussionist Nick Aston, which was originally intended for release on Bobby Bongo Records but shelved. Nick has chosen instead to release these newer recordings under the name of The Fourth Floor, due out some time in early 2024. There are eight instrumental tracks here, all in the style of vintage film soundtrack music, and seemingly composed for several different imaginary movies. Sons of Sycamore employs gentle piano, spacey synth and reverberating celesta to create an eerie otherworldliness akin to music from the hauntology and retrofuturism movements. Its counterpart Madam Sycamore is a darkly pensive, piano-based neoclassical piece. Doc Savage is a stylish jazz-informed track straight out of a 1960s action movie, while Gamma Girl is another classy retro number with a laid-back funky groove, featuring wah-wah guitar and vintage organ alongside ethereal celesta. There's an incredible musical talent on show here and a clear love of vintage film music that gives the pieces an authentic sound.
Mystic Village guitarist/vocalist Robert Cooksey, formerly of The Sea Urchins and Delta, is working on new solo material under the name Mystic Moods. I'm yet to hear the finished recordings, but have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to listen to some song sketches. Songs such as We Walk Alone, Mr Magical Man, and It's Easier are all psych-folk pieces of great beauty, with intricately picked acoustic guitar and deep resonant vocals. Whilst this new material has an emphasis on psych-folk, additional variety is offered through the meandering, mantra-like Khari, the jazz-tinged psychedelia of For You, and the hushed melancholy of How Long Will We Wait? These are raw, homemade demos, though the sheer songwriting talent shines through the lo-fi recordings. I hope to have more to report on Robert's new music once the final recordings are available. For more details contact Robert at


THE YELLOW MELODIES Sunshine Pop LP (Old Bad Habits / Hurrah Música / Discos Imprescindibles)
Long-running Spanish band The Yellow Melodies released their three-part Sunshine Pop EP series in 2020-2021 as downloads and limited edition CDRs. Now the material from these EPs (except the cover versions) has been compiled onto vinyl LP, with very many exciting sounds within. It's a Good Day Today is cheery 60s-tinged pop with a bouncy rhythm, ambitiously arranged with dreamlike chimes and glockenspiel and huge soaring backing vocals that add a touch of vintage soul. La Magia de Aquellas Noches is really well-crafted, bringing together a varied mix of influences in an original manner, combining a 60s-ish folk-pop melody with a shimmering atmospheric dreampop wall of sound, Wild West twang, powerpop chug and psychedelic swirl. C86 e Indiepop celebrates DIY pop amidst a burst of fuzz, namechecking all your fave indiepopsters such as BMX Bandits, Television Personalities, The Pastels, Heavenly, and the Shop Assistants. Elsewhere you get the exhilarating janglepop rush of Follow the Sun, the early Teenage Fanclub-esque noisepop of Importante, and the carefree, summery pop 'n' roll of Driving Back Home. Very highly recommended! The LP is limited to 300 copies and comes with printed inner sleeve with photos and lyrics. Jointly released by the Old Bad Habits Label of Greece and Spanish labels Hurrah Música and Discos Imprescindibles. The album is also available on CD from Canadian label The Beautiful Music.

THE DRAIN ON THE BALCONY Quattro Stagioni LP (Old Bad Habits)
The Drain on the Balcony was the first band of Rocker (The Flatmates, The Rosehips, Arrest! Charlie Tipper, The Total Rejection, etc). They have existed on and off since 1977, and their fifth album (or seventh if you count DIY tapes) Quattro Stagioni now comes to us from the great Greek label Old Bad Habits. Rocker is listed in the credits as producer rather than a member of the band, although Discogs claims their vocalist and multi-instrumentalist known as Gran is the same person as Rocker. The music here is as eclectic as you might expect from a band with four different songwriters, though it holds together as a complete album. The lyrics are true poetry, often loaded with sardonic wit. There are songs with a serious political message, like the anti-Brexit Tears of Rage (A Song for Europe), and those that are just plain fun, like the punky ode to pizza delivery drivers that is Pizza Man, where snarling vocals and fuzzy noise coexist with whirling fairground organ and the amusing pun "deep pan, crisp and even". There's the sophisticated folk-pop of Across the Sea, the brilliant catchy pop-psych of Ice Cream, with bittersweet lyrics accompanied by lilting accordion and piano and sci-fi synth, and Covidiot Blues which combines the fuzz and sneer of punk with bluesy ivory-tinkling. Final track The Triangle Kid is a highly creative and original piece featuring performance poetry telling the story of a kid bunking off school to immerse himself in the history of popular music through his dad's CD collection, set to a quirky, trip-hop-ish musical backdrop. Musically diverse and inventive, the tracks here have grown on me with each listen. Only 150 copies pressed, with printed inner sleeve with lyrics and band info; get it while you still can at oldbadhabitslabel.bandcamp.com

DAVID CW BRIGGS Just Because I Hear Your Call... Doesn't Mean I'm Here At All; And the World Spins Freely Away From You; Neighbourhood Witch CDRs (Folk Archive)
Three recent CDRs from the prolific home recording artist David CW Briggs. Just Because I Hear Your Call... Doesn't Mean I'm Here At All is a reissue on CDR of a previously download-only album from 2014. There's the immense psychedelia of Even Though the Time Has Come, its strong melody underpinned by a hypnotic chug and accompanied by powerful clanging guitar noise; the raw, distorted, lopsided blues of New Old Blues; the lo-fi janglepop of Biding My Time; and the sparse, off-kilter Weeping, which comes across something like if Syd Barrett was a bedroom indiepop artist. This is a hand-stamped and numbered CDR limited to just 12 copies, which comes with a photocopied insert in the classic tape label/fanzine style, featuring the track list alongside DCWB's surreal artwork.
And the World Spins Freely Away From You is one of DCWB's most consistently psychedelic albums. Eccentric Mirror is 60s-informed psych-pop with garagey bite and atmospheric, cinematic use of organ and spacey synth. Don't Summon Me seamlessly combines chiming janglepop, blues, floaty backwards effects and a DIY punk spirit. Merry Grey Day starts with a brooding soundscape intro giving way to indie psych-pop pairing choppy guitar with hazy vocals and taking in a flowing jangly solo. The songs are punctuated by instrumental pieces such as the vintage horror filmic Ghouls Night In, blending an ominous waltz with a grim murder balladesque melody accompanied by booming echoey percussion, and the bendy, lurching ...It's Much Too Late. Again this CD is highly limited (just 14 copies) and comes with a photocopied L-shaped insert with track listing and artwork as well as the full colour outer cover.
The punnily titled Neighbourhood Witch features a child's drawing of a cartoon witch on the cover and Victorian surrealism on the photocopied insert. Cream Cracker is an effortless merging of twisted, angular blues and sunny, flute-adorned psych-pop. Witchgate plays a surfy melody on horror-soundtrack organ, backed by a lolloping rhythm. Memory Waking wraps hushed, sleepy pop in a swirling, ethereal cloud. Staple Gun's riff recalls the Fat Tulips' The Way Things Are, but that's where the similarity ends in this rollicking, absurdist piece that imagines all sorts of weird things to do with furniture and household implements. The album closes with the extended, 10 minute-plus psych-out The 2nd of Nothing, taking in incendiary wah-wah and meandering organ and guitar work. Limited to 15 copies with free I'm a Neighbourhood Witch sticker.
All albums are also available as downloads. Visit davidcwbriggs.bandcamp.com

LETTUCE PREY A Body of Remarkable Fine Sand CDR/Download (Senectus)
Now here's a name that takes me back! I think I last covered this band back in the late 90s in the paper version of Aquamarine; great to know they are still around. This album is a highly inventive synthesis of lo-fi off-kilter 90s-style indie-rock, American folk, and analogue electronica. Whilst Hermeneutic Spiral put me in mind of Grandaddy, I'm not otherwise aware of any other band who bring together these musical ingredients in quite the same way as Lettuce Prey. Accordion is employed to create hazy atmospherics, complemented perfectly by the analogue synth effects, an approach exemplified by the song Morgan which views 90s indie-rock through a whole new creative lens. Rockefeller reinvents US folk balladry as off-centre noisy indie-rock, infused with bubbling, juddering sci-fi synth sounds. Virginia's Perfect Teeth sets quirky observational lyrics about a dentist to upbeat DIY folk-pop. Cold Alaska's dark and grimy - yet catchy - mix of alt-rock and Americana, and the subtly psychedelic alt-folk of Transmogrify, both of which were previously released as a highly limited square lathe cut 8" single, are also included here. Creative, original and authentic, this is clearly not a band who are content to copy other people's ideas, and all the better for it. They really should be better known than they are. Available to download at lettuceprey.bandcamp.com, or contact the band to order the CD version which is a factory-pressed CDR in a slim card wallet with vintage map-inspired art.

THE CONSPIRACY Harvest Festival CD (Nifty-50)
This was originally released on the Sally & Kev CDR label run by Colin Scott of Cream of the Crop zine; Colin has now reissued it on his new label Nifty-50 as a factory-pressed CDR in slim card wallet. This reissue came out in 2022; I was sadly unable to review it at the time as I was too backlogged to take on any additional submissions, but have been able to make room for it in the current issue. The album compiles material recorded between 1997 and 1999, much of which had previously been issued across a variety of tape labels and will be familiar to those who followed this band through the tapes scene.
Andy Partridge, a tribute to one of their musical heroes, is shimmering psychedelia with an eerie undertone, shot through with punk energy. Nature's Metaphor is on the mellower side of the band, with acoustic guitar overlaid by woozy slide guitar and synthesised strings; it transcends genre, fitting equally alongside indie pop and psych-folk without really being either of those. The Plough is bright pop with a keyboard sound that evokes the celestial shimmer of the lyrics' constellations, while Safe? offers a sharp contrast with its in-yer-face shouty punk approach.
The compilation also includes three tracks that are unfamiliar to me and I think may be unreleased elsewhere. Nirvana Part 1 is a hypnotic number with ethereal keyboard at its centre and psychedelic vocal effects, quite a departure from the more guitar oriented tracks here, and an additional facet to the band's eclecticism. Rest in Peace, again keyboard based, evokes a nostalgia for the age of steam. Ascension is a piano instrumental combining shades of The Beatles with neoclassical/soundtrack aspects before veering off down a blues route.
The CD comes with a photocopied cut 'n' paste insert with overviews of the songs' background. A good introduction to this band's late 90s output which is now hard to find elsewhere. Search ebay for the CD and find it in the creamcropzinelabel shop.

ANNA SETTON O Futuro é Mais Bonito CD (Galileo)
MALASAÑERS Venceremos CD (Galileo)
BELOFOUR Suiten Suite CD (Bayla/Galileo)
Selection of titles from folk/world/jazz label Galileo Music Communication. Brazilian singer Anna Setton provides an airy, stylish brand of pop infused at times with bossa nova, soundtrack music and spacey ambience. Saudade é Pouco is an uplifting number with really nice use of ethereal effects and lilting accordion. Canto de Aruanda is superb folk-pop accompanied by a busy Latin rhythm and soaring, joyful brass and woodwind arrangement. Amor e Sal features gentle acoustic guitar interwoven with glacial atmospheric electronics, alongside retrofuturistic soundtrack touches and aspects of Latin jazz; there's much that would appeal to fans of the tropicalia-infused psych-folk of Beautify Junkyards in this folky space-pop work of beauty.
Malasañers give us a multifaceted yet cohesive variety of punk-folk on their album Venceremos. Rise and Fall is heavy folk-rock with metally riffage, Celtic-inspired banjo sections, and forceful "Hey! Hey!" chants, coming across like a heavier version of Celtic folk-rock band Tempest, with additional reminders of folk-metal outfits such as Glittertind and Heidevolk. Put a Light in Your Window combines Irish and American folk, sometimes acoustic, sometimes with the noise cranked up. Haunt Me Like a Hound is punk Americana pairing raucous guitar noise with great banjo work. They also provide some choppy ska-punk with folky banjo in Scheiß Drauf, and the punked-up rock 'n' roll scuzz of Crazy Head.
Suiten Suite by Belofour is an older album from 2021 that slipped through the net at the time of its release due to review backlog, but is still worth a mention. Belofour are an improvisational accordion quartet, peppering traditional-style folk melodies with bizarre sonic art experiments. Schubbsi sounds Finnish-inspired, with shades of Sväng and Maria Kalaniemi, while incorporating later in the piece elements of church organ music and baroque. Perle au Four again starts off sounding Finnish, recalling the kind of tunes played by fiddle ensemble JPP, before taking on a more overtly improvisational sound with experimental vocal sections that lend a post-punk touch to the piece. Ravelin Sense is an ever-changing, multi-part piece incorporating ominous drones and ritualistic chanting; 19th century-style folk that is pretty, stately and hymn-like; birdsong-inspired whistling; and jazz-blues-like improvisation. Gimme That Cue travels across airy Celtic folk, funky rap backed by accordions, and show tune-ish grandeur with jokey lyrics about a 'randy Andy'... pretty sure there's nowhere else you can hear all these things within the same song! Find out more about these and other Galileo releases at galileomusic.de

KITCHEN CYNICS / MARGERY DAW / GREY MALKIN Weeping Stones cassette/download (Cruel Nature)
Alan Davidson's long-running, prolific psych-folk project Kitchen Cynics has I believe released over 100 albums since the late 1980s. Originating in the DIY tapes scene, the band has recently gone back to those roots with a series of cassettes on the Cruel Nature tape label. This latest one is a collaboration with Margery Daw (also heard on the No Bigger Fools CD reviewed above) and Grey Malkin who has previously been involved in the dark folk bands The Hare and the Moon and Widow's Weeds. The pieces here feature evocative poetic lyrics steeped in nature, folklore and myth, populated by such figures as faeries and elves (the brutal, amoral sort from authentic folklore, not the prettied-up Victorian or Disney variety), Odin and his ravens, and the old Horned One, set to inventive musical art experiments.
Changeling is eerie experimental folk backed by sweeping neoclassical strings, echoing percussion and mystic chimes. Raven's Nest describes the titular bird in sumptiously vivid terms, of velvet, jet and pewter, recited over a semi-abstract soundscape with all the strangeness and unrealness of a fever dream. An Ancient Ghost is dark-edged psych-folk with a richly layered arrangement, a real work of beauty. Don't let the folksy concertina and corn dollies of Lammas Fayre lull you into the false sense of security of expecting some quaint village fete. The foreboding synth rumble that accompanies it offers more of a clue as to what goes on at this Fayre, a gory, folk horror-esque tale of human sacrifice.
The artists take two trad folk standards, The Earl of Moray and Sweet Primroses, and swathe them in a dreamlike ambience and off-kilter psychedelia that sets them far apart from their original context. A more abstract side comes through in The More I Think, The Worse It Gets' bizarre, nightmarish sound-art, while Red is an intense, swirling piece sending the listener on a true mind journey, with echoing hypnotic psychedelic guitar, birdsong-like whistle, and an almost Far Eastern melodic touch at times. Over this heady musical brew, Daw recites the names of red items, mainly those found in nature, but shows a sense of humour in the inclusion of 'Dennis Skinner's socks' and the wolf whistle that follows 'love hearts'.
As is often the case with Cruel Nature, the entire package is a work of art in itself. The stone-encrusted verdigris leaves from the inside cover photo are also printed on the tape itself, making this the most beautiful and artistic-looking cassette I've seen to date. The sleeve employs a keen sense of graphic design and follows a uniform theme with the previous Kitchen Cynics tapes on the label, presenting them as a complete set. The tape was limited to 100 copies and sold out on pre-orders, but can still be obtained as a download from Grey Malkin's Bandcamp page. More info on Cruel Nature at cruelnaturerecordings.bandcamp.com

AVI C ENGEL Too Many Souls cassette (Cruel Nature)
Latest album from this Toronto musician, following on from last year's Sanguinaria (reviewed above). I've got to say I think I like this new one even more than the last one. These darkly beautiful songs are informed by folk music but imbued with such a strong sense of originality that they transcend the confines of the folk genre. There are thoughtful, poetic lyrics, and an uncanny ability to get astonishing sounds out of acoustic instruments. Some of the sound effects in Without Any Eyes could be mistaken for a theremin or analogue synth, but only acoustic instruments are listed on the cover. Breadcrumb Dance's sceptical lyrics, giving short shrift to alchemy, astrology and the like, are juxtaposed with a heady musical arrangement that sounds profoundly spiritual, the Slavic 3-string bowed instrument gudok played over an ecstatic percussive backdrop. The Oven Bird's Song features Engel's strong, vibrato-ornamented voice accompanied by a delicate acoustic guitar melody paired with the ambient hum of the gudok. The traditional tune Wayfaring Stranger this time has the gudok sounding almost fiddle-like over a mesmerising backwards psychedelic riff that keeps repeating itself in my mind long after the tape has finished. Other notable tracks include the folk-pop earworm Ladybird, What's Wrong? and the eerily ethereal Woolly Mammoth. A really excellent, innovative underground folk album. The visual presentation is also fantastic, the bubble-like art from the folding cruciform card sleeve being printed on the cassette itself. Limited to just 40 copies on cassette from cruelnaturerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/too-many-souls. The album is also released on CD and download by Somnimage, available at somnimage.bandcamp.com/album/too-many-souls

DRAGGED UP High on Ripple cassette (Cruel Nature)
Glasgow's Dragged Up, comprising members of Violent Butlins, Trembling Bells, The Owsley Sunshine, and Bad Aura, follow up their Hex Domestic EP (reviewed earlier this issue) with new album High on Ripple. They make an innovative, eclectic noise that takes bits and bobs from the 90s, 80s and 60s, shoves it all in a blender and makes something new out of it all, something that's distinctive and specific to this band. Bible Study combines lo-fi pop with fierce grungey moments. Missing Person brings together skewed, arty punk-pop and a decidedly off-kilter version of surf, adding clattering xylophone and random noise bursts. Die Tryin' pairs woozily psychedelic folk-pop and spoken word recitations, viewing it all through a wonky homemade lens. Young Person's Guide to Going Backwards in the World is equal parts garage-psych and grunge, with a smidgen of those experimental post-punk sounds associated with the Ron Johnson label and the other side of C86. Extended multi-part finale Third Level opens with intense psychedelia and raw noise over a hypnotic bass line, morphing as the piece progresses into lo-fi pop, spoken word, fast and furious metal and beyond. As always with Cruel Nature, a lot of care has gone into the packaging, with on-body art print on the cassette, a longer-than-usual multi-folding J-card with lyrics and artwork, and card slipcase. The tape is limited to 55 copies, with only 4 copies remaining at the time of writing, available at cruelnaturerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/high-on-ripple. Also available on orange vinyl LP limited to 300 copies, or digital download, from the band at draggedup.bandcamp.com/album/high-on-ripple. Rare Vitamin Records have released the CD version, with just one copy left in stock at rarevitaminrecords.bandcamp.com/album/high-on-ripple

LIGHTBULB Carnival of Strange CD/DL (Secret Shark)
Lightbulb are David Reid and Thorin Dixon from The Contrast. Their album Carnival of Strange follows on from Reid's 2023 solo album Shadows and Shades (reviewed earlier this issue), continuing the theme of music for imaginary movies. These instrumental pieces are recorded live in the studio with no overdubs, Reid playing the melody and accompaniment simultaneously on a single guitar, joined by Dixon on drums. The pieces bring together a variety of genres in a cohesive manner, with folk, country, blues, jazz and film score at the forefront. Diversion is perhaps my favourite track here, a melody that could be mistaken for a traditional folk ballad, imbued with deep melancholy and rendered in a style befitting a bleak American road movie. Hypocracy Blues sounds like the musical backdrop to a scene of furtive plotting from a vintage crime film. Carnival of Strange combines jazz-blues influences with a sense of the eccentric, its ending so abrupt that I wondered for a brief moment if there had been a powercut! Bug incorporates a throaty baritone guitar sound that swirls and churns. Other notable tracks include the twisted country of Phantom Roadhouse Rag and the intricate folk beauty of Remember the Time... Find out more at www.secretshark.co.uk

DAVID CW BRIGGS The Eccentric Domain CDR/DL (Folk Archive)
A really great set of songs from this continually recommended hometaper, spanning a broad section of the psychedelic genre. There's the indie-psych of I Never Wanted to Be (A Bat in Your Belfry), the raw distorted garage snarl of A Pox on the Poxy, the lo-fi psychedelic blues of With Sadness I Say, and Sunlit Vein which combines bedroom indie pop with off-kilter psychedelia. Psych-folk instrumental Demolished meanders softly through a summer afternoon haze before culminating in a sinister, rumbling pulse. The track that most lives up to the album's title is Ain't It Grand, wonky fairground pop with a lopsided waltz rhythm, psychedelic guitar duetting with parping melodica. An excellent homemade psych album from this prolific artist. Limited to just 15 hand-stamped, numbered copies on CDR, with handwritten and painted track listing; downloads are also available. Visit davidcwbriggs.bandcamp.com

JESSICA PARNELL It's Here CDR/DL (Folk Archive)
Jessica Parnell explores myth and mystery in these experimental pieces produced to accompany her video art. The title track taps into a similar current to many artists on A Year in the Country's compilations, with its sinister rumblings and bleeps. Country Guides features a jabbing rhythmic synth and Laurie Anderson O Superman-style vocalisations, overlaid at times with short bursts of melody and speech. Soft Touch arranges whirring and croaking sound effects in a rhythmic manner. Morning Breaks is the punning title for a percussive piece incorporating the sound of smashing glass. Gobble Gobble Vision sets ecstatic vocalisations to sound effects that suggest stretching, boinging rubber. Not Fade Away is an eerie, vintage horror filmic piece based around a foreboding synth melody and vocal samples. An inventive and engaging sound-art album, limited to 50 copies on CDR, with a postcard describing Parnell's artistic approach alongside examples of her photographic art. Downloads are also available. Visit davidcwbriggs.bandcamp.com

ANTON BARBEAU An Introduction to Anton Barbeau CD (Fruits de Mer)
Fruits de Mer Records have recently launched a series of retrospective compilations of artists with an extensive catalogue on the label, the fifth installment being from Anton Barbeau, whose inventive, idiosyncratic psych-pop has long been highly recommended here at Aquamarine. Fruits de Mer started out as a covers label, so naturally a number of the songs here are covers. These include Julian Cope's Out of My Mind on Dope and Speed, ultramelodic pop set to noisy guitar rumblings and spacey whooshing analogue synth; the Big Star classic September Gurls, sung in a breathy falsetto over meandering piano, swirling psych guitar and reverberating drums, underpinned by a relentless keyboard riff; Donovan's Sunshine Superman, much in the spirit of the original since Donovan and Barbeau share a similar level of eccentricity; The Monkees' Pleasant Valley Sunday, recorded with FDM supergroup The Fishheads (also including members of Astralasia, The Honey Pot, Trace Imprint and more), and containing just as much musical sunshine as the original; and the comparatively more obscure Dr Crippen's Waiting Room by Orange Bicycle, a collaboration with The Honey Pot, psych-pop arrayed with flowing guitar work with an almost raga-like quality at times.
There are also plenty of Barbeau originals here, including three that hold particularly classic status for me, namely the immensely catchy, and decidedly non-formulaic, psychedelic powerpop track Psychedelic Mynde of Moses; the absolute earworm When I Was 46 (in the Year 13) with its huge ambitious arrangement taking in piano, bouzouki, analogue synth, vocal harmonies, and Bevis Frond-esque guitar intensity; and the similarly ultra-catchy Heavy Psychedelic Toilet, which is psych-pop at its most psychedelic, with bizarre lyrics like "The face of God is a three-eyed girl in a heavy psychedelic toilet", the vocals appropriately treated with an 'underwater' effect, over a swirling, soaring musical backdrop.
Most tracks come from Anton Barbeau's psych-pop side and hold together as a cohesive album despite being drawn from a large number of different releases. Barbeau is however a much more eclectic artist and there are times here when he ventures outside of the eccentric psych-pop that this album emphasises. Berlin School of Doubt is a hypnotic, floaty instrumental based around swirling, deep-space analogue synths. Beak is an experimental number in which vintage electronica with shades of Kraftwerk is combined with punky riffage and repeated recital of the piece's title. Final track Trouble was Born is a raw live recording from Glastonbury, combining a country influence with punk bite.
Released as a vinyl-effect CD with inner sleeve listing Anton's entire FDM discography to date, and gatefold card outer sleeve, the whole thing having the effect of a shrunk-down vinyl LP. A quote from reviewer Aug Stone appears inside the sleeve, describing Barbeau as "one of America's great English eccentrics", whose "songs are at times surreal, yet always catchy and compelling", which is completely spot on. Get the album at www.fruitsdemerrecords.com

THE STRANGE ENCOUNTERS All in the Mind CD/LP/DL (Ports of Call / Subjangle)
The Strange Encounters are the Berlin-based duo of Joe Armstrong (Jacobites, Nikki Sudden and the Last Bandits, Two Dollar Bash) and Guido Kreutzmüller (Forest Four, The Say Highs). Their debut album All in the Mind digs into musical history, with an emphasis on the 1960s, bringing together jangly pop, US folk, psychedelia and rock 'n' roll into a cohesive whole. Don't Hold Back has shades of The Byrds in its combination of American folk-rock and jangle pop. Recognize is another excellent jangler, culminating in a shimmering dreampop haze. The track has much to appeal to fans of late-80s indie pop while simultaneously harking back to older US folk. Surveillance Town recalls at times The Beatles during their Indian-influenced period, combined with mandolin-led Americana. Different is a smooth, sophisticated, 1970s-ish, piano-based pop ballad, overlaid now and then with soaring, swirling Mellotron orchestration. Thinkin'/Drinkin' brings together rock 'n' roll and strong catchy pop, with an ELO-ish chorus paired with Beatlesque riffage, effectively taking in a dreamy psychedelic interlude. The Boy in the Mirror is a 7-minute-plus epic that looks towards late 60s West Coast rock such as Buffalo Springfield, becoming increasingly psychedelic as it progresses, with cosmic swirling electronics and wild guitar psych-outs. The album closes with Long Lost Days, rustic homespun folk centred around acoustic guitar, banjo and fiddle, inventively paired with cinematic soundscaping. Jointly released by French label Ports of Call Music and South African label Subjangle. Visit thestrangeencounters.bandcamp.com; portsofcallmusic.com; and subjangle.bandcamp.com

TRACE IMPRINT Vs the Other Folk CDR/DL (Trace Imprint)
Jon Chinn's Trace Imprint project collaborates with a selection of other artists, from underground experimental folk projects to famed actress Maxine Peake, in aid of children caught up in war. Maxine Peake recites Edward Thomas' The Bridge over a blend of eerie cinematic ambience and otherworldly psych-folk. Kate Gathercole (of Alula Down), Trace Imprint, and dark ambient artist Needle into a Bug cover Alasdair Roberts' Farewell Sorrow, with Kate's mournful, breathy vocals over an evocative blend of filmic electronics and found sounds. Trappist Afterland's Orbs of Christ is superb Middle Eastern-tinged psych-folk, with an immersive arrangement in which acoustic instruments such as viol and whistle are employed to create a heady, soundscape-like effect. Written in the Earth by Empty House is an ethereal psych-folk instrumental, its hypnotically repeating, swirling melody underlined by a gentle drone. Jon Chinn draws from the work of John Renbourn with There is Beauty in Tears, an intricate acoustic guitar piece with shades of the 14th century. Jonathon Heron, another of Chinn's guises, combines meandering psych-folk guitar, jaunty skiffle-like percussion, spacey electronics, breezy la-la-las and more in the engaging, inventive Heron Pool.
Cocoon, by Trappist Afterland vs Trace Imprint and Needle into a Bug feat. Bugface is laudably free from genre boundaries, Trappist's darkly psychedelic folk sharing space with Bugface's hip-hop, backed by horror filmic ambience, sampled hurdy gurdy riffs and sweeping neoclassical strings. The gothic mist of The Coast Ghost's I'm Sleeping with a Crow is followed by Jon Chinn's Hay Foot, an excellent pairing of lo-fi blues and sunshine pop, the cheery ba-ba-bas and lilting Mellotron providing a bright counterpoint to the brooding mood the album otherwise tends towards. The album closes with Cathy Wallis' Cornish Lads, a song firmly rooted in the traditional idiom, effectively combined here with ambient soundscaping, dub-like echo effects, and field recordings of crashing waves and seagull calls from Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula. Proceeds from CD sales will be donated to Unicef. The album is free to download at Bandcamp, but donate what you can afford to Unicef's Gaza and/or Sudan appeals.

TRACE IMPRINT The Good Earth CDR (Trace Imprint)
Jon Chinn, who is Trace Imprint, was born in Studley, Warwickshire, not too far from the town where I grew up. I didn't know him at the time, and was surprised to learn he'd come from this area originally, as this corner of the Midlands wasn't exactly a thriving hotspot of underground music when I lived around there. Aside from a couple of isolated bands, you generally had to go to Birmingham to find anything properly underground and inventive. Things seemed to be different during Jon's time in Studley though, as he writes "The music scene was particularly strong for a village. A lot of innovative bands in a fairly friendly scene where older musicians generally were supportive of the up and coming".
Jon returns to his Studley roots with this forthcoming album, which is divided into two parts: The Good Earth being true story songs set mainly in Studley, and The Maypole Dances, based on words and music from Studley headteacher W. Shaw's 1910 sheet music collection of that name. The album opens with Out of My Tree, psychedelic noisepop with a lo-fi punk spirit, ending with a homage to The Beatles' She Loves You. The Silver Veil features vigorous tribal percussion and cinematic soundscaping as backdrop for echoey recitation. Badger is off-kilter outsider pop with psych and folk hints, minimally arranged with guitar and concertina, occupying a similar area to the music of David CW Briggs. Next up is a slice of inventive experimental pop; I use 'pop' in the broadest definition possible as this piece basically transcends genre with its combination of jazzy bass, psych guitar, electronic beats and dreamlike sound sculpturing. The Unconquered Sun sets post-punk pop to an original mix of prog-folk guitar, bubbling analogue synths and shimmering autoharp.
The Maypole Dances was made by scanning Shaw's sheet music and converting it to MIDI files played through modular synths. Real instruments are added, with Jon Chinn playing concertina, guitar, viol and autoharp, and Trappist Afterland's Adam Geoffrey Cole contributing horn, bells and flutes. These versions snatch folk out of the hands of antiquarians and return it to the people, de-twee-ifying the incredibly quaint Victorian-style lyrics about rustic frolics, May Queens and the like within an original contemporary setting that takes on board elements of punk, hip-hop, and ritualistic experimental music.
Invocation - Spring Advances in the Forest of Arden invites the listener to take part in a folkloric ritual amidst the sound of bellowing horns, tribal percussion, sheep and cattle calls, and eerie analogue hums and burbles. As well as its ritualistic component, the piece acts as a kind of musical topography, referencing familiar place names and their local landscape. It's frankly uncanny for me to hear places from my youth, like the Arrow Valley (whose name now belongs to the lake-based park within the Redditch new town, but its history goes back much further), being namechecked in a work of music. The Maypole High sees the quaint, rustic lyrics belted out with punk energy, over musical accompaniment that includes undulating concertina alongside autoharp and electronic drone.
Single and Double Plait brings together the rural and the urban, the pretty and the harsh, in an ingenious mix of folk and rap. Lyrics that sound like something from 19th century poetry ("Leafy oaks in stately duty greet the fairy queen", etc) are spat out with force. Formal Plait presents a seemingly random, stream of consciousness grab-bag of rhymes ("Tag rag merry derry periwig", etc) in an echoing chant, intoned as if they were magical invocations. It sounds like punks taking part in an occult ritual over a heady, surreal electronic backdrop. Threes revisits the lyrics of The Maypole High; this version is softer and more melodic, with a folkier arrangement based around concertina and acoustic guitar, though the retrofuturistic background electronics lend a subtle eeriness to the piece.
This is a real love letter to the Forest of Arden, injecting some much appreciated musical innovation into the historical folk material. It proves that reverence can be shown to historical music without it having to be treated as set in stone and requiring a faithful reenactment, and indeed that this can happen through the use of seemingly irreverent musical forms like punk. No release date has been set for this yet but the plan is to issue a limited set containing a booklet based on Shaw's book, a postcard, and other bits alongside the CD, then hopefully finding a label to release it more broadly. Keep an eye on traceimprint.bandcamp.com for any news.

KILBEY KENNEDY Premonition K CD/LP/DL (Easy Action)
Steve Kilbey (The Church) and Martin Kennedy (All India Radio, Pray TV) bring us the final part of their trilogy of albums following on from Jupiter 13 and The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus. Much like The Church, Premonition K synthesizes prog, goth and neo-psychedelia into a complete genre of its own. Packaged within fantastical artwork resembling that of vintage prog albums, it's something of a paranormal concept album, with songs that reference near death experience, electronic voice phenomena and ouija boards.
NDE combines heavy, doom-laden riffage with sweeping prog atmospherics. The Doctor is acoustic beauty shrouded in a languid haze. Nowhere is a brooding number accompanied by swirling, gyrating ethereality, with a ghostly cinematic interlude taking in rattling percussion and eerie background voices. That's Gotta Hurt is the album's main standout track, an excellent prog-pop earworm, featuring chiming jangly guitar and undulating keyboard backed by a hazy ethereal wall of sound. Whispered Voices on Tape features pessimistic recitations amidst pealing reverbed gothic guitar, floaty atmospheric synth, spectral whispers and demonic cackles. The Ouija Board sets a horror filmic narrative to darkly chugging alt-rock, punctuated by ghostly chimes and la-la-las, paranormal research speech and prog bombast. The Song That Wrote Itself's ethereal gothic atmosphere is offset by the soaring, soulful voice of Sasquin and the ecstatic, transcendent electronics.
An inventive, visionary album recommended to anyone who appreciates the strange, dark and otherworldly. Available at easyaction.co.uk

PINHDAR A Sparkle on the Dark Water LP (Fruits de Mer)
LONDON UNDERGROUND Live at the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival 2023 LP (Fruits de Mer)
A Sparkle on the Dark Water by Italian duo Pinhdar sees psychedelic label Fruits de Mer Records take a detour down a surprisingly gothic route. The album's title is a perfect fit for the music within, which is brooding and shimmering all at once, situated somewhere between ethereal darkwave and the more goth-friendly end of dreampop. In the Woods is rich, soulful dreampop arrayed with pulsing electronics. Cold River features impassioned, darkly sophisticated vocals over churning, foreboding riffage and a relentless percussive thud. Solanin is bleak gothic dreampop backed by gyrating, atmospheric electronics, resonant guitar and soaring strings. Worth investigating for fans of the Projekt label or the more gothic side of 1980s 4AD.
Also from Italy are London Underground, whose roots lie in the 1990s prog rock band Standarte. As their name suggests, they look to the subcultural music of 1960s London for inspiration, combining psych, rhythm & blues, and early prog in instrumental form. Billy Silver is instrumental blues shrouded in a psychedelic haze. Fanfare is a Hammond-led extravaganza befitting a 1960s action movie. Honey Drops features cinematic organ overlaid with guitar pyrotechnics that straddle the line between prog rock and the heavier end of psychedelia. They go out with a bang on What I Say, the album's choppy, skittering, nine minute prog finale.
Both albums are released on 13th August 2024 and available at www.fruitsdemerrecords.com

VARIOUS 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival of Psychedelia double LP (Fruits de Mer)
Compilation of artists who played at last year's Dr Sardonicus festival, spread across four sides of vinyl. The first part of the album is made up of lengthy instrumentals. Sendelica appear with Maggot Brain, darkly atmospheric at the start, building up to an intense, fiery psych guitar workout and ending with a wild spacerock section with insistent riffage and whooshing analogue synth. Hanford Flyover update spacerock with vigorous dance beats while detouring into psych-folk-rock territory; their Space Tractor is an exciting listen. Consterdine's Sepia is an evocative, cinematic piece that changes mood throughout to incorporate floaty, spacey sounds, meandering woodwind, spiky rhythms and more besides. There's also the organ-led instrumental prog of London Underground and the cosmic ambience of Spectral Stream.
The second part of the album is mostly song-based, with the exception of Dark Zen Kollectiv's ever-changing ambient/spacerock/funk jam session. There's Pinhdar's icy, misty darkwave sounds, McDowell and Westaway who combine bluesy psychedelia with synthpop beats, and the Cary Grace Band's dramatic, epic version of The Velvet Underground's Venus in Furs, impassioned vocals within a musical setting of almost gothic intensity, befitting the song's subject matter. Spygenius are quite an anomaly among the rocky, spacey and dark sounds here, though are the band who are most in line with my own tastes. They appear with a version of their excellent Cafe Emery Hill, perky, catchy, harmony-laden pop that's sure to appeal equally to fans of the poppier end of psychedelia and indiepop alike. Available at www.fruitsdemerrecords.com

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