A Sweeping Curve of Sound

I have always been a fan of the more haunted and esoteric side of the new wave of psychedelic folk. More Espers than Devendra Banhart, more British Wyrd Folk than Naturalismo if you catch my drift. So you’ll get a general idea of where I’m coming from when I say I really enjoy the sounds I find on the new split-EP from Novemthree and Arrowwood.

Both projects deal with haunting folk styles, sounds that evoke a sort of timeless atmosphere of poetry and myth. Arrowwood’s contribution weaves an almost ambient haze of melancholic moods, which, lead by vocalist Chelsea Robb (with accompaniment from Pythagumus, Lindsey Hoffman, Josh Lovejoy), transports you to a time when haunting laments were the bread and butter of troubadours everywhere. Meanwhile, Novemthree (spearheaded by Pythagumus) has a sound that evokes memories of the spooky pastoral folk found on The Wicker Man Sountrack (which if you know me, is high praise indeed). Songs that seem ready to turn the wheel of the year and initiate you to deeper mysteries.

The EP is a release on the new Little Somebody Records label, who utilizes unique packaging (two mini-CDs with some marvelous graphic design) to create a treasured collectors item. This is strong and talented work that should perk up the ears of any folk-music enthusiast, even if their tastes don’t run down the same crooked paths mine do. This is music that beckons you towards a dark wood, and you should heed its call.

Links: Novemthree @ MySpace, Arrowwood @ MySpace