- Label: Millersounds.
- Year: 2009.
- Style: Psychedelic Folk.
- Format: CD.
- Note:
- Score: 88%
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I was waiting quite impatiently for this album to come. I discovered THE ROWAN AMBER MILL though MySpace, and have been listening to their preview songs many a times the last year. There is something in their psychedelic, pastoral folk that I find very, very attractive. Can’t put my finger on what though. I just get the feeling that this is so very special every time I hear it. And I love Kim’s haunting, somewhat deep vocals what that they do to lift the sound high above ground.
So, ”Midsummers” is the simple title. The CD comes in a simple cardboard digipak with a sticker on, holding all the artwork. From a little tray inside the packaging you can find a sheet with the titles of the tracks and some information about each and every one of them. I’d say the design and the artwork is amazing.
And I’d say the same about the music. It’s hard to categorize and hard to describe, but to call this neo-Wicker Man music would be pretty fair I think. It’s mysterious, darkly crafted, psychedelic folk with lots of interesting and unexpected turns taken. Yet, at the same time, it’s all so very obvious.
The instrumentation is a strange blend of today and yesterday. I especially fancy the hollow sounding flutes in ”Sumer is a Cumen In”, a fantastic song that appears in several different dresses through out these 10 tracks.
I also LOVE the ninth track, the title one called, you’ve guessed it, ”Midsummers”, that seems to summarize the album by throwing out short clips from each track over the sounds of a flickering fire.
Too bad the album is over pretty much just after it starts. Yes, it suffers from shortness, but then again, see it from the bright side; that way nothing is stopping you from playing it again and again and 10 times per day!
I’d say that THE ROWAN AMBER MILL is for me today, what THE OWL SERVICE was for me last year. And their album later appeared when I summarized 2008’s best albums. That statement should hopefully leave you exited enough to go look for this album. And I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with me when I say that THE ROWAN AMBER MILL might just be one of the most promising folk acts to date. ”Midsummers” is beautiful, interesting, intriguing and a wonderful craft.
Tracklist:
- Sumer Is A Cumen In
- Sumer Is A Cumen In
- Greenwood
- Blood & Bones
- Corndolly
- The Paper Owl and Golden Hare
- Spinning and Singing
- Sumer Is A Cumen In
- Midsummers
- Blood And Bones
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