II

This sextet from Philadelphia specialize in creating a mystical weave of the UK folk balladry of Fairport Convention, the eerie underside of acoustic Led Zeppelin and the psychedelic slow-IV-drip of early 70s soundtrack-era Pink Floyd. They do so with an alarming arsenal of special instruments ranging from sleigh bells and gongs to something called doumbeks and dholaks, alongside their acoustic guitars, flutes, various keyboards and distortion pedals. Male and female vocals exchange roles throughout the seven epic tracks that show a definite maturity from their charming but less dynamic debut album. “Dead Queen” begins things with a gorgeous, elliptical flow, a medieval vibe that suggests a day spent at a countryside Renaissance fair (as do the bucolic laze of “Cruel Storm” and the aptly-titled “Mansfield and Cyclops”). However, things turn much darker from the first stirring distorted notes of “Widow’s Weed” where the band’s sense of doom and drone take charge and build to a whirring maelstrom of wind and horror film effects. II is the sound of a quirky ensemble finding their footing and ascending to new heights.