THE LICK ON THE TIP OF AN ENVELOPE YET TO BE SENT

While it can be assumed that many a psych cum prog folk band from the late 1960s and early 1970s thought they could gain an edge in a crowded field by consuming illicit substances, less is known of the non pharmaceutical habits of current bands of this ilk, other than their numbers have drawn down over 5 decades of corporate pop. But in the case of CIRCULUS, a medieval British group that wears their preferred century literally on their sleeves, apparently certain subjects of the Kingdom of Fungi have been summoned as inspiration along with long departed Celtic royalty like "Philip the Good" of Brittany. This herd of cats shepherded by Michael Tyack was without a record deal for the better part of their first decade, but were signed to the doom metal but open minded label Rise Above", under the auspices of which they released "The LIck on..".

One might be forgiven for assuming that the visuals would be the most exciting aspect to the band, but on their debut they have integrated a host of influences from the golden era into their distinguished vision. Bands like COMUS, SPIROGYRA, and INCREDIBLE STRING BAND are likely influences on the Olde English axis while others like STRAWBS, DECAMERON, and PENTANGLE seem to have inspired the more reserved English folk rock building blocks. While the 40 odd minute album length might be retro, the production is crystalline and the band marshals more technology in the form of confident lead guitar, synthesizers and other keys than would be the typical bill of fare, without sounding out of place amongst the citterns, flutes and crumhorns.

Most impressive are the opening three tracks, "Miri" with its wayward yet spot on harmonies and rock backing leads into the stunning and hypnotic "My Body is Made of Sunlight" which Spotify deemed appropriate for my introduction to the band a month or so back. "The Scarecrow" is of nearly the same quality, but where they sound most like DECAMERON circa "First Light", though not the "Scarecrow" piece from that album. After these brilliant numbers the album settles back a bit. "We are long lost" gets the nomination for most disappointing denouement after an eerie expectant opening, being overly reliant on repetitive lyrics that sound like they were an afterthought. "Swallow" is pleasant enough and tends to get the most attention due to the participation of Marianne Segal on vocals from the early psych folk outfit JADE, but it's a bit lost in the jumble. Two instrumentals spotlight the band's predilection for ambient and trance like arrangements, with "The Aphid" being by far the better, sounding like a fresh take on the lengthy break on STEPPENWOLF's "Magic Carpet Ride". "Power to the Pixies" is a solid closer, embracing ancient mythology, which I'd like to think is what CIRCULUS likes to think they are about.

This is a refreshing perspective on several endearing styles that have taken a licking in recent decades but endure. 3.5 stars. Thanks, Circulus!

If the tripped-out cover art and whimsical album title didn't give it away, the LARP-tastic band photos on the interior of The Lick On the Tip of an Envelope Yet To Be Sent gives it away: Circulus are very much throwback kids, a musical project intent on recapturing the spirit of those freak folk bands of late 1960s/early 1970s Britain who liked to attempt to evoke an medieval atmosphere without necessarily knowing that much about authentic medieval music - but still being dab hands at blending acoustic guitar-focused folk music with tripped out psychedelic contributions via keyboard and synthesiser.

Let's face it: you either love this sort of stuff or cannot possibly see the appeal, but for my money I reckon this is a pretty decent example of this sort of thing. Whether there's all that much substance here beyond the schtick is another matter, and I tend to find that listening to the album just makes me want to go and revisit the band's various influences yet again, but if you can't get enough of this sort of thing this is inoffensive.