A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM

Oxford University friends produce a mish-mash of songs connected in a hodge-podge of seemingly unrelated dots (certainly not all of A Midsummer's Night Dream). Too bad they only had one mic to record from.

1. "Nottanum Town" (4:47) starting right out of the gate with a song that expresses/mimics an archaic sound and style (almost "Scarborough Fair"-ish), the pacing is slow and plodding. When the vocals enter--at first as female and then male vocalise--they add depth and fullness while merely repeating the already established melody. Flutes and violin join the weave as Jan Scrimgeour's lead vocal moves into the world of the worded. The accompaniment of deep male voices gives the song a kind of minstrel/monastic feel. Interesting if oddly engineered (especially among the murky vocal tracks). (8.6667/10) 2. "Peggy" (2:44) sounds familiar to me because of my long-standing acquaintance with Lindsay Buckingham's "Never Going Back" (on Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumors.) Also has a Spencer Davis/Steve Winwood feel to it. (4.25/5)

3. "The Hunt" (8:55) the best song on the album--a lot due to the theatricity of the song, the excellent violin play, and the unusual vocal choir arrangements. A top three song. (17.75/20)

4. "Syrinx" (2:51) flute solo in the tradition of Claude Debussy. (4.25/5)

5. "Summertime" (5:06) from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Jazzy (especially thanks to the flute play and. later, the walking bass) with a Parisian coffeehouse/café feel to the rhythm section. Vocalist Jan Scrimgeour's performance is not quite up to the quality of standard renditions (she's no Ella Fitzgerald). (8.6667/10)

6. "Time Past, Time Come" (3:52) opens with the light-/airiness of a classic Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young or Traffic song. Great interplay within the weave by each and every musician (guitar, bass, flute, violin). Another top three song. (9/10)

7. "Minas Tirith" (Parts I & II) (8:21) is quite an excellently engineered and mixed folk song. The interplay between the flute and violin are most delightful. The war & conflict-like drum exposition in the middle 90 seconds is not unwelcome but is overly long. The music returns in the form of a DOORS-like four-chord psychedelic jam with electric guitar, Ian Anderson-like flute, and violin taking turns and even duelling with each other a bit to the song's weird end. (18/20)

8. "Epitaph" (3:36) beautiful (if familiar ["Wildflower"]) chord progression introduced from the strumming guitar provides accompaniment for the heart-felt singing of Robin Clutterbuck. There's even a steady Paul Stookey "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" presence that Robin seems to be channeling. Powerful. (9/10)

Total time: 40:14

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent find for any Prog Folk loving prog lover.