Mellow CandleSwaddling Songs
Though its members were Irish, Mellow Candle had a sound that fell squarely in the British folk-rock idiom, somewhere between Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. Mellow Candle's great lost opus Swaddling Songs (1972) may be stylistically typical, but it stands out for the quality of its songs and arrangements, especially given the record's obscurity; a sought-after collectors item for British folkies, Swaddling Songs lives it to its reputation as a forgotten treasure. The songs, penned mostly by Clodaugh Simmons, are fully-formed and addictive, and the lush, pastoral arrangements are even better. Like the best records of the folk-rock back end of the British folk revival, Swaddling Songs takes traditionalist British folk songs and styles and amplifies them with full-bodied arrangements energized by percussion. "Messenger Birds," for example, is a mid-tempo number featuring a rolling piano lick, subtle electric guitar ornamentation, and a drum part that is understated yet nevertheless makes its presence felt. Despite its name, the group also knows how to handle downright up-beat numbers; "Dan the Wing" rides a start-stop groove that evokes Richard Thompson's ability to convey energy and grace simultaneously, while "Boulders on the Grave" is flat-out jittery, with back and forth "la la"/"na na" interplay. To top things off, the vocals, shared by Simmons and Alison Williams, effortlessly straddle English wisdom with youthful enthusiasm, whether they're sung solo or in harmony, as on the jubilant "Buy or Beware." "I want no water with my wine," the singers intone on that number, which, I can only assume, may be crudely translated as "straight, no chaser." Whether its wine or music at issue, one doubts these folks would have things any other way.
To hear tracks from Swaddling Songs, click here.
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