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| Like
the bright sun burning through the morning fog |
Like the bright sun burning
through the morning fog, Magicfolk come bearing tradition,
vision, passion and mysticism. On this, their debut, the seven-piece
is blessed with the beautiful lead voice of Michelle Glover
(who also plays acoustic guitar and handles much of the composition),
and backed by two additional female voices within the band
(guitarist Vicky Grady and Josephone, who doubles on flute,
sax and bass clarinet). The four remaining players handle
keyboards, lead guitar, bass, drums and percussion. The material
here was written and recorded over a five year period, and
many of the songs feature players and vocalists from earlier
versions of the band, plus some guests also; even as such,
the result is surprisingly consistent across the twelve pieces
presented. Stylistically, they are somewhere between the late-sixties
West Coast folk-rock sound (think PBC or earliest Airplane)
and the British progressive folk-rock of the late sixties
and early seventies, though one might hear many similarities
to the early (pre-symphonic) work of contemporaries Iona.
These ears often hear a sound reminiscent of the British progressive
band Solstice on their early outings Silent Dance and New
Life. "Heliopolis" is a case in point: after the
first vocal section, the band revs up for a restless workout
on multiple guitars with bass clarinet that would make the
crimson king proud. The blood-curdling screams on "Furies"
that give way to a blistering guitar lead is another. All
taken, an excellent slab of modern British folk-hippie-rock
that most will enjoy.
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| Delicately
spun... the perfumed garden of psychedelia |
| Magicfolk
are composers of delicately spun acoustic rock, which as well
as visiting the perfumed garden of 60s psychedelia also integrates
folk and vaguely new wave stylings into the mix. The self-titled
debut album from the Norfolk-based seven-piece is also home
to a string of ambitious self-compositions trademarked by dreamy
female harmonies that suggest a grounding in the acid folk of
Mellow Candle and Tir Na Nog. |
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| A
raft of magical spells... a silver blade wrapped in lace |
Last week a CD
arrived with a herald’s caduceus on the front and a seagull
in flight on the back cover. Do you know what? That CD from
Magicfolk heralded fantastic flights of musical and lyrical
fancy mixed with a touch of pagan lore, medieval storytelling
and a gentle otherworldly air. Magicfolk blend tantalisingly
delicate music with wistful poetic meandering lyrics. Then
when you’ve been gently wafted into a dreamlike trance by
Michelle Glover’s fey voice backed by some lovingly layered
harmonies and Miki Kovalkovic’s haunting keyboards, striking
guitar breaks from Andy Hines and Tom Abbott take the enchantment
to another level.
‘Green Man’ opens
the album - some interesting lyrics here … “walk with the
Green man, take the contra-flow, you don’t need traffic signs
to follow the Ley lines.” It’s a gentle exploration of folklore
and mystical thought. ‘Persephone’ is one of those songs that
instantly entices - Michelle’s tranquil vocals are breathtaking,
and Josephine’s flute hovers round your ears. ‘Furies’ has
some hidden menace lurking in there - Ben Glover’s bass drives
the song while ethereal screams and words prowl between the
music and lyrics. Definitely a track to play with the lights
out but make sure there’s someone to hold your hand. "Sea
Priestess" positively rocks - but their delicate touch
is still there. It’s a silver blade wrapped in lace as the
vocals wrap around you while the keyboards and guitars slice
like swirling knives.
The list of performers
is wide and varied (much like everything about Magicfolk)
the sleeve notes credit numerous musicians and voices. Magicfolk’s
music would never pass the Old Grey Whistle Test (the ability
to whistle the tune on one hearing) but that’s not what they’re
about. Magicfolk construct a complex potion of sounds using
instruments and voices to seduce your ears. If you want to
slide off this planet with all its cares and go somewhere
mysterious listen to Magicfolk. Ben and Michelle write music
that acts like mental balm – soothing and revitalising – remember
to hold on softly though - if you grip too hard their ethereal
sounds will slip right through your fingers.
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| Hugely
evocative... an album that you really must try |
New(ish)
British bands are coming out of the woodwork in some unusual
places, and when these places are of a predominantly rural nature,
it is not surprising that the music is likely to be rather pastoral
and delicate in style.
I have previously
introduced you to Mermaid's Kiss from Herefordshire, and now
I present Magicfolk from Norfolk (ooh-arhh!) - a 7-piece band
including no fewer than three females. (Quick, call the Classic
Rock Society someone.) In researching the background to the
band I have seen two descriptions of their style of music that
I honestly cannot improve upon; so "cider-drinking music"
and "contemporary and esoteric prog-folk" are both
included here to give you an initial impression of what Magicfolk
are all about. But I am also sure that some of you reading this
might wish to ascribe the term "west coast" to the
rather laid back style prevalent across the album's twelve tracks
and there are certainly plenty of nods in the direction of countless
Californian ensembles and stretching all the way back to the
acid/psych folk movement of the mid to late 1960s.
As this digs back
into one strand of my own roots and early musical inclinations,
it will come as no surprise to you that I am rather taken by
this slightly whimsical and delicate musical adventure, but
whether you would be able to countenance lyrical content such
as "you don't need traffic signs to follow the ley lines"
(in opening song 'Green Man') I will have to leave to your own
conscience and preference!
Although there is
a superabundance of acoustic instrumentation (some of it quite
unusual), you will find Tom Abbott's lead guitar contributions
to 'Green Man', 'Narcissus' and 'Heliopolis' a very tasty surprise.
'Heliopolis' and album closer 'Sea Priestess' (where Lee Morant
alternatively yields the "axe") are on the one hand
fairly lengthy complex progressive numbers, but are also in
places hugely evocative of that certain ethereal brew of late
60s experimentalism - and therefore properly described as "retrogressive".
I'm sure you will also find yourself bringing to mind a popular
song by America when you listen to the former song!
For those of you
who won't frown at obscure meandering lyrical content and like
to vary your melodic intake whilst enjoying strong and evocative
melodies from massed female voices attempting ambitious songs,
then this is an album that you really must try. |
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| Haunting
and lyrical |
| Haunting
and lyrical, Magicfolk’s folk-rock debut CD has definite Pagan
and magical themes, with tracks like ‘Green Man’, ‘Persephone’
and ‘Sea Priestess’, the latter with lyrics adapted from Dion
Fortune. The female vocals are pure and harmonious, while there
is some brilliant guitar which is reminiscent of Santana
[I kid you not]. There are a range of instruments with bass,
drums, acoustic and electric guitars, flute, bazouki, keyboard,
darbuka etc. Mellow and easy on the ear, this CD is well worth
a listen. |
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| Totally
engaged expressiveness |
The group has
a core of a woman’s trio, as if this is a magical triangle
that is able to expand with their harmony voices just like
a pentangle to the outside, while surrounded by a circle of
male musicians. I can’t help it to get a very Neo-pagan feeling
to Magicfolk’s smooth self-penned folkrock sound and to their
song inspirations. It is more than once a not a direct emotional
but a thought provoked inspiration and situation which is
empowered with an attractively arranged folkrock sound that
makes the creative entity of the group, with a convincing
fashionable result, and with a form that has its own world
of totally engaged expressiveness.
From their previous
EP, the great memorable and beautifully arranged song “Aibo”
is added too. This song with all its arrangements is also
more distinctive from more deliberately focused associations.
I very much like the way how the acoustic guitars add their
own colours to “Aibo” and also to “Heliopolis” (also from
the EP). This second track is another distinctive great track
with an instrumental section of progressive guitars and some
keyboards and some additional brass instrument, nice vocal
arrangements and a good song too. On “Furies” the girls and
guitars freak a bit out according to the theme, like during
a wild dance, but also here we still hear the elves-angelic
arrangements in the vocals too. Also on the last track the
guitars get a larger free and progressive rock part.
A very good album.
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| Mystic
folk-rockers… prog-rock, celtic tunes and tight vocal harmony
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| Relaxing
collection of tunes from Norwich based mystic folk-rockers Magicfolk.
The sevenpiece band, which, at one time, supported the likes
of The Mediaeval Baebes and The Daughters of Gaia
play what they describe as "esoteric psych-folk" and
pretty easygoing stuff it is too. Their tracks are a blend of
70's flavoured prog rock, Celtic tunes and tight vocal harmony;
spiked through with some very prickly electric guitar. If you
like Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull and
Jefferson Airplane, you won't be disappointed. The
opening track Green Man has some nifty lyrics while the Sea
Priestess has some pretty spacey guitar. |
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| Magical |
| This
group's lyrics use Pagan and mythological themes, and the music
is set to folksy guitar with a nice overarching mystical sound
lent by harmonization and magical-sounding wind instruments.
The female singers have a great, easy - as in completely unforced
- style that just kinda makes you mellow out. You'll enjoy this
if you want music that has more than one layer but doesn't have
to try for it. |
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| www.magicfolk.co.uk |
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