NO RAYS OF NOISE

This late 70's german semi-acoustic ensemble is a curiosity maybe too rapidly eclipsed by great bands of the progish folk scene. The music is not as ambitious / adventurous as pagan-medieval acid folk combos from Germany (Ougenweide, Parzival...) nevertheless it is constantly relaxing, intimate and pleasantly sunshiney. No Rays of Noise combines subtle-profundly emotional female voices (sometimes helped by some others vocalists) to pastoral blues-folk guitar sequences. The atmosphere tends to be pop-ish with hippie-like accents but it's efficiently poetical and beautifully dreamy. The bonus tracks include nice live performances, not wonderful or transcendant but warmly vibrant with an inspired charming flavour. Generally the live parts feature a rockier instrumentation. Some tracks provide a dancing-forest like atmosphere for primal flutes (Mattelotte/Kupferschmied...). Some others develop a discreet tripped out kraut-folk ambience (Tra Na Rossan...). Difficult to choose one or a few best songs because the level is rather equal all along the album...it contains no real surprise but the natural-ceremonial folkish atmosphere keeps the listener's attention. Recommended to those who enjoy the most introspective-fragile moments of prog folk.