IGNIS FATUUS

White Willow's debut album presents a compelling blueprint for their future sound but doesn't quite bring everything together to deliver the goods. The band's enthusiasm for incorporating the folky elements into their music makes them one of the most pastoral-sounding bands that ever drew inspiration from Trespass-era Genesis, and the vocal talents brought together on the album are charming, but tighter production and more compelling songs could have pushed this sound to the next level. As it stands, it's a decent enough album for those already keen on White Willow's brand of pastoral symphonic prog, but it doesn't quite succeed as well at establishing an atmosphere as some of their later work.