Album Reviews
Hypnotic psych-folk music from the far side of weird (July 01, 2009)
For folk that's psychedelic and brooding the
debut album from The Hare and The Moon is for you. There’s enough darkness and mystical
foreboding here to satisfy the most ardent dark folk fan. One listen is enough
to set your imagination working overtime; from strange percussion and ominous
drums, through distorted guitar and strident mandolin to doom-laden breathy
vocals. Add to those aural experiments strange sound bites from horror films such as ‘Children of
the Stones’ and ‘Psychomania’ and you know what you’re in for.
This music can build scenes or creates images. There’s slightly medieval overtones conjuring green forests, there's warm evenings, the smell of
wood smoke, perhaps a there's a darkly forbidding pool. It also gives life to strange
creatures - characters born of your imagination and those living in the lyrics.
 There are 15 tracks on the album, which opens with pounding
drums, echoing percussion, distorted guitar and a tolling bell to create ‘The
Thin Ghost’ - a more ghostly opener you will be hard-pressed to find. Their
version of ‘John Barleycorn’ is an idiosyncratic take (again those drums) on a
traditional song and I loved it – and the instrumental outro is awesome. The
introduction to ‘The Golden Bough’ reminded me of ethereal music I heard in
India four decades ago (that’s a vague memory – if you get my drift). Then a
sound bite from ‘Psychomania’ kicked in and the dark musical imagery that often
prevails in this album took over.
‘The Rolling of The Stones’ creeps up on you from the
delicate opening and gentle lyrics to the pulse-beat drum and bells, before it
tails into another menacing close. ‘May Day’ is full of energy and space - you
can almost see the figures tripping round the maypole. Although there is still
the feeling that something is brooding in the shadows. ‘Hob’s Lane’ is no
surprise – vocals with menace and music with intent combine to suggest a sense
of unease (should you be unaware of it - ‘Hob’ is an old nickname for the devil).
This piece of sometimes disturbing, experimental psych-folk will not be on
everyone’s musical wish-list. However, if slightly daunting, occasionally ominous
psychedelia flips your folk switch then this offering from The Hare and The Moon
will work a treat. A word of caution - those of a nervous disposition should be sure to
have someone hold their hand while they listen.
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