LICHT

Just one year after their mildly interesting but amorphous debut, FAUN took major strides to define their own sound on "Licht". Moreover, the contributions here seem more deliberate while simultaneously less predictable. The group has achieved an appealing balance of fragile and robust (harp vs hurdy gurdy) instrumentation, male and female vocals, and instrumental and sung passages, even if the overall moods remain dark and oddly sinister.

Only the passively spoken "Cernunnos" and the weak"Wind and Geige" fail to impress, but a few of the others merit special mention, and, interestingly, these are bolstered by Fiona Ruggeberg's sprightly flute, providing a contrast to the downbeat sentiments no doubt expressed while strangely mournful in their own right. "Von Del Elben" is more typically sombre but "Punagra" is fairly boisterous by group standards, based on heavily strummed guitars and relatively spirited melded female and male vocals. Oliver Sa Tyr leads over an elegant string and acoustic guitar backing on "Isis", the melody hypnotic and entrancing. "Egil Saga" is one of the most foreboding of all, from the inventive and nimble percussion to the vociferously chanted chorus.

After indulging on and off for about a month, I now feel comfortable illuminating four stars over this progressive folk de light.