posted: 2022-04-07 Swaddling Songs Mellow Candle

“Filled with multi-layered harmonies and complex arrangements, this unfortunately overlooked album of beautiful, flowing, and wonderfully recorded British folk-rock has been a favorite of record collectors for years. Luckily, the strength of the music holds up beyond its scarcity. Not merely electric updates of lost traditional numbers, the album works because it establishes a voice and a sound that is truly compelling. The arrangements range from the zigzagging light progressive bent of the opener, “Heaven Heath,” to the more storming tempo changes of “Dan the Wing.” Strewn across the record is some truly remarkable guitar work, with the blanks filled in with lush violin and piano fills. The crystal clear recording and the lack of reliance on overly fantastical lyrics make Swaddling Songs sound remarkably current. Anyone who is able to track down the CD reissue will be more than pleased with this lost treasure.” - Jon Pruett, AllMusic