BASKET OF LIGHT

First of all, I would like to remind you of a few prog folk bands (apart from Renaissance, which has been often a symphonic ensemble), such as Gryphon, Strawbs, Fairport Convention, for example, which have been so creative in the folk genre and very interesting in their execution live, but without playing an acoustic jazz (unlike The Pentangle, I mean). Usually a prog-folk band is able to create a mix of rock or medieval music, passing thorugh the language of the traditional folk, but seldom inside an apparatus of an experimental acoustic jazz...In any case the improvisational approach here is replaced by an intelligent search of a precise scheme, inside a typical melodic folk- even by means of a couple of covers (being never banal anyway!).

The track "Light Flight" is the best song here and- in spite of the uneven approach of the vocalist (of course not equal to Annie Haslam or Silvia Kristina by Curved Air), she's quite convincing, especially in the passages where the voice is not too much "masculine". Then regard the fascinating track "Lyke-Wake Dirge", with their emotional approach, which is as good as the clever "incipit" of the mentioned opener; and this way at the end it could be enough to judge this "Basket of light" as an "illuminated" small jewel of prog folk (think of the album title)...Ok "Sally Go Round the Roses" is a cover concerning a traditional folk of the sixties and also "Once I Had a Sweetheart" belongs to that period; and moreover these latter tunes don't seem so "original" (above all talking about their arrangement), but it's a minor defect after all, cause the present "benchmark"- regarding the best folk prog- won't never pretend to be a masterpiece of prog music or prog rock, but it's well worth checking out at least...in fact- out of a typical prog collection- you can add 1 star, with no doubts!!