Glasgow band Snowgoose have plenty of experience in their ranks. Fronted by gilt-voiced newcomer Anna Sheard, the group also features the talents of songwriter Jim McCulloch (Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan ), Teenage Fanclub’s Raymond McGinley, multi-instrumentalist cccc and The Wellgreen drummer Stuart Kidd.
From the opening bars of Crawl Out Your Window, a hypnotic, psychedelic number with a big heart, through to the delicate, vocal undulations of the pulsating Sycamore, and the heartfelt simplicity of classic Sandy Denny-style ballad Whispers and Echoes, Snowgoose cast reverent glances back towards the past and bands like Fairport Convention, Pentangle and The Albion Band.
But Harmony Springs is more than homage. McCulloch’s well-crafted melodies combine the influences of 1960s British folk music and West Coast American sounds in a way that feels remarkably fresh, largely as a result of Sheard’s distinct, pure vocal performance. Sheard could — and will — be compared to a raft of stellar British female folk singers of the past but she has a tone, composure and delivery that’s quite unique.
Review by: Rachel Devine
Dates
Mon 12th Nov: King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow (+ Special Guests)
Fri 16th Nov: Camden Barfly, London (+ Special Guests)
Harmony Springs is released on Ba Da Bing Records 30 Oct 2012. Order it from Amazon.
Photo Credit: Ruthie Blaney