Garland Sessions

Although harvesting a similar field to 60s folk icons, The Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Pentangle and Vashti Bunyan, The Owl Service invigorate the genre with a welcome sinister edge, invoking the prevailing malevolence found in films like Robin Hardy's 'The Wicker Man', Piers Haggard's 'The Blood On Satan's Claw' and the 1969 TV series, The Owl Service from whence Steve Collins & co they took their name. That said Garland Sessions does not stray too far a field and remains faithful to the sound and tone forged by their peers in the late 60s, and those expecting / searching for an album of psych-folk should look elsewhere.On 'The Dorset Hanging Oak', a 6 minute plus instro, the mood and gradual build is reminiscent of Popol Vuh's monumental score to Werner Herzog's 'Nosferatu'. The traditional and oft covered 'Katie Cruel' features a surprising heavy guitar break that distinguishes itself from most other versions excepting that by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Another track 'Bear Ghost' (not included on the original album) is one of the few tracks not decorated by the usual folk instrumentation and as such sounds like an early foray or new direction.Not having heard the original version of 'Garland', I can't make a comparison and I hope that a reviewer with both editions steps forward. I will say that whatever changes have been made, be they subtle or not, nothing sounds unfinished, throw-away or filler.Highly recommended.