CARBETH

The group's debut album comes in an impressive mini-Lp gatefold sleeve and has a no- less impressive booklet with the song's lyrics each getting their psychic and mystic illustration. Normally a female-singer fronted quartet, TB featured twice as many musicians on their self-titled debut album, which was released in 2009 on the small Honest Johns label in a beautiful mini-Lp sleeve featuring a winter painted landscape. The group's basic quartet line-up sees quite a few reinforcements in terms of instruments, including a violin, a trombone and a lapsteel guitar. The album has a very pastoral and bucolic feel and often remained close to the very traditional clichés of UK folk music, including a crystal-clear female voice that's much reminiscent of Denny, McShee, Gaskin, Dyble and many more, but the male vocals are sharing the spotlight as well, giving that typical duet vocal sound that typifies the genre.

Opening on a Harmnium-like drone, Velvet Seasons announces right away the colours, including a very-present trombone over a slow-organ. Some Lapsteel guitar enters in I Took To You, helping the mood to rise up to folk-rock with plenty of details to rejoice anyone keen on listening to their haunting melodies, which only increase with the familiar When I Was Young (maybe the album's highlight) and that spellbinding organ. And a definitive psychedelic feel as well. Indeed The End's In Beginning shows a 60's psych spirit , without sounding too awkward, but it's rather messy next to the other tracks and especially the following lazy and bucolic Summer's Waning . The title track and its follow-up Your Head are both drenched in trombone and guitar strums, but not particularly mesmerizing, but allow the album to complete its year-round cycle concept. Garlands Of Stars feature some loud screeching guitar over semi-plaintive vocals, while the closing Seven Years A Teardrop

Throughout the album, there is a definite religious feel, but fear not, it's rather easily ignored, and you shouldn't find yourself in a devil worshipping sect, despite one ofr two more pagan illustrations. Nothing that will revolutionize the prog folk realm, especially in regards to the Wyrd Folk movement, but if interested, the progheads won't be looking too much for the usual "prog clichés" in TB's music, but rather in the subtle arrangements, even if they don't avoid the clichés. Your call on this one.