Light of a Vaster Dark

Faun Fables weave together strands of British and American folk with Eastern European and gypsy music to create an intriguing aesthetic on their fifth release. Light of a Vaster Dark is a song cycle about the changing of the seasons and how it affects day-to-day life, and the lyrics are coherent enough to follow while still retaining a adventurous and mysterious quality. Not quite freeform yet not exactly structured either, some songs sound centuries old, some (“Housekeeper,” “Parade”) are closer to dark, moody country rock, and others feature atonal passages and eerie soundscapes. Overall the balance is cleverly and beautifully done. The poetic lyrics incorporate pagan imagery and mysticism along with observations on motherhood and domesticity to create an intriguing world of its own. The primary members of Faun Fables are Dawn McCarthy and Nils Frykdahl (also a member of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) and they are supported by talented musicians on a range of instruments including violin, bass clarinet, flute, upright bass, guitar, harmonica, and assorted percussion.