Two Wings
Album: Love's Spring
Label: Tin Angel
Tracks: 8
Website: twowingsband.com/

How to describe Two Wings? Psych Folk? Folk Rock? Wyrd Folk? Acid Folk? Nu Folk?These descriptions don't begin to do this extraordinary band full justice. Imagine one of the classic folk rock bands [Fairport/Steeleye] fronted by the long-lost cousin of KateBush/Bjork/ Joanna Newsome and an electric guitarist cloned from Richard Thompson, with a brass band and some country and western licks thrown in for good measure. Now you're beginning to get the picture!

Two Wings is a folk rock "super group" consisting of Finnish-English vocalist,musician and artist Hanna Tuulikki ; guitarist Ben Reynolds of the excellent Trembling Bells plus Lucy Duncombe and Kenneth Wilson [both of experimental folk band Trees] ,Owen Curtis Williams and Emily Roff.

Hanna's voice is ,shall we say, very unusual but once you get attuned to it , it is irresistible. So is the music, which becomes more addictive with every play. Listening to the album has been described by one listener as "like plunging into some deep cosmic bath" and I would not disagree. Opening track "Eikon" sets the tone with soulful ,wailing vocals from Hanna with shimmering guitar and swirls of jazzrock horns.

Second track "Feet" is a quiet ,acoustic ballad with a country-ish feel and Calexico-like horns. The title track "Love's Spring " is a seven minute epic of folk-baroque loveliness ,where medieval recorders meet acid-rock guitars .Fantastic stuff! "Valley " is another gentle acoustic ballad , which speeds up into a country- rock finale which wouldn't sound out of place at the Grand Ole Opry !!!

"Altars and Thrones" is [I think] a meditation on death and has an ethereal quality, somewhat reminiscent of the Cocteau Twins,and is quite haunting. "Just Like" is another seven minute folk-rock epic, complete with Thompson-esque guitar , a lovely brass section and more of Hanna's extraordinary vocals.

If anything, Two Wings save the best for last. The final track "Forbidden Sublime" is a masterpiece which builds slowly over nearly nine minutes .Again the combination of Ben's amazing guitar , the brass section and Hanna's singing is just wonderful.

This is an incredible record which I unreservedly recommend . File under NuWyrdPsychFolkAcidRock.

Peter Cowley

Eikon, the first single from the album is out on March 12th, album follows in April