Review: 2 from Mega Dodo; Us and Them / Crystal Jacqueline

Us and Them are Swedish duo Britt Rönnholm (vocals) and Anders Hakanson (guitar and keyboard) who produce some of the most mesmerising and beautiful acid folk that have graced these ears in a long time. The duo should be familiar to afficionados of the Fruits de Mer label and have had 3 EPs released via that label. 'Summer Green And Autumn Brown' is their debut long player and it is the wonderful Mega Dodo label who have the honour of putting it out.

When one thinks of female folk voices the name Sandy Denny is inevitably the first name from people's lips, however, Rönnholm's vocal musings should run a very close second; her melancholic yearnings the expression of a pastoral idyll from days gone by. That's not to say that 'Summer Green And Autumn Brown' is backwards looking, on the contrary, it mixes bucolic folk with some proggy elements and delving at times into experimental electronica, but never to the detriment of some beautifully performed and intelligently written songs. There is a definite edge to the duo's material, a sharpness that raises it above the normal folk fair; some songs are embued with a darkness and sadness that, perversely, make the album all the more satisfying. Special mention should go to the baroque stylings of 'We Are Sacred' and the 10 minute long 'From The Inside, Looking Out' the start of which sounds like Delia Derbyshire gone folk; it artfully mixes hauntological electronica with melodious folk to great effect.

'Summer Green And Autumn Brown' is a spellbinding collection of songs. As I sit listening and writing on a gloomy November Friday afternoon it takes me to sunnier places at times and to windswept, leaf-strewn autumnal glades at others. If you are to by one folk album this year then it should be this one.

The album is available as limited edition vinyl and CD via the Mega Dodo Bandcamp page. (There was a super limited 4CD set including all the Fruits de Mer singles, but they've all gone!)



Also new from Mega Dodo is 'Winter Deep', the new single from Crystal Jacqueline, also another mainstay of both Fruits de Mer and Mega Dodo labels (her version of Jefferson's Airplane's 'White Rabbit' on the FdM 'Crystal Jacqueline and The Honeypot' single is possibly one of the best cover versions I've heard). Crystal Jacqueline is the purveyor of lovely psych / psych folk and is blessed with a bewitching voice that ensnares listeners in multicoloured tendrils of dreamy melody.

The track 'Winter Deep' is a hazy psychedelic folk number; Jacqueline's vocals riding dreamily above some beautiful melancholic guitar. It is a truly beautiful song with vocals and gentle instrumentation that lull you into a state of relaxation and letting the pressure of everyday life slip from your shoulders...it should be prescribed as a remedy for stress. 'Feast Of Stephen' is another folk based number but one rooted in folk rock rather than pastoral musings. It has a experimental feel to it with the layering of vocals giving it a slight dissonent feel, but the track is none the worse for it. A live medley of 'Rainflower / Mary Waiting' brings it all to close. The vocals prove to be just as pin sharp live as they do in the studio, testament to Crystal Jacqueline's pure voice. 'Rainflower' is a simple folk number, just voice and acoustic guitar and sounds like a folk Cocteau Twins. The seamless segue into 'Mary Waiting' sees the tempo lifted and the acoustic strumming become more urgent but still with those lilting vocals.

The three tracks on the single showcase admirably the vocal skill of Crystal Jacqueline and her ability to capture and captivate an audience with her voice alone. A beautiful collection of songs.

'Winter Deep' is available from the Mega Dodo Bandcamp page as a limited edition CD or download.