Norfolk-based psychedelic folk band Magicfolk were founded in 2003 as an acoustic trio, but their sound has evolved and expanded, with the band now featuring seven regular members as well as a number of guest musicians. The core of the band is the husband-and-wife songwriting team of Michelle and Ben Glover. Michelle handles lead vocals and also plays acoustic guitar, whilst Ben also plays guitar and some bass, and writes a lot of the lyrics and music. Michelle’s mellifluous lead vocals are augmented by the two other female members of the band, guitarist Vicky Grady and Josephone, who plays flute, sax and clarinet, to produce beautiful three-part choral harmonies, and the band’s sound is rounded out with the addition of drums, bass, keyboards, lead electric guitar from Andy Hines, and an occasional sprinkling of other instruments such as bouzouki and banjo.

The twelve tracks on this self-released debut album are all original, with strong lyrics based around pagan, pastoral and mythological themes, obvious in titles such as ‘Green Man’, ’Persephone’ and ‘Sea Priestess’. Magicfolk’s music is heavily indebted to the West Coast acid rock of late 60s bands like Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead as well as British folk revival bands like Pentangle and Mellow Candle. The soaring guitar leads of Andy Hines, who I wager has more than a few Pink Floyd albums at home, adds a strong psychedelic accent to songs which would otherwise be fairly straightforward acoustic folk. Songs which stood out for me included ‘Furies’, probably the noisiest and hardest-rocking track here, which has spoken-word vocals in Greek (the only male vocals on the album), as well as wild incantatory screaming reminiscent of Diamanda Galás at her most frenzied – which is a good thing! The smooth prog-rock flute, funky bassline and harmony vocals of closing track ‘Sea Priestess’, which has lyrics adapted from the novel of the same name by occultist Dion Fortune, are very satisfying too. Magicfolk’s closest contemporaries are probably Circulus and the Greek band Défilé Des Âmes, so if you like those bands, I really recommend checking out Magicfolk.

The Magicfolk album was formerly available for download from Woven Wheat Whispers, the now sadly extinct folk music download service, but I'm sure the band has copies available. Plans are already afoot for the recording of the second Magicfolk album, and I did hear a rumour to the effect that Magicfolk are going to feature on an upcoming folk compilation album, so look out for those. But alas and alack, it’s now time to depart from the enchanted kingdom of Magicfolk and move on to my next review, which happens to be some super-harsh power electronics. Working for the Judas Kiss isn’t all mermaids and unicorns, you know…

www.magicfolk.co.uk

www.myspace.com/magicfolk