Albion: Lakesongs Of Elbid

Lakesongs Of Elbid is the debut album from Albion, a band formed round recently departed Jethro Tull guitarist, Joe Parrish-James (vocals, guitar, flute, mandolin, programming), and, rather oddly, the man who replaced him in Tull, Jack Clark (backing vocals, guitar) along with Peter Szypulski (bass), and Mikey Ciancio (drums), although there are a few other helpers along the way. Now, there are a lot of clues above to be deciphered, Jethro Tull, flute, mandolin, Lakesongs of Elbid… if all of those threads have been knitted together in your mind to create a tapestry of folk rock and metal then you’d be correct. For measure I’d also add the words symphonic and progressive, although this album is never too symphonic, nor is it ever overtly progressive. What it does wear on its sleeve is a keen sense of drama, whether that be the crashing, soaring bombast of “Arthurian Overture� or the more contained strum and hum of “Pagan Spirit�. As a fan of the current iteration of Jethro Tull I will admit that one of the biggest thrills here is to hear Parrish-James and Clark unleashed, as it were. Suddenly guitar-slingers who can in Tull sound quite contained and polite reveal some fancy fret-tricks and a penchant for a gruff barking riff. Admittedly, both of those aspects come draped in moods, atmospheres and a lightness of touch that can at times make things a little more forgettable than I’m sure was intended.

With that in mind I suggest strapping on a good set of headphones and dimming the lights to both set a mood and to ensure that your thoughts don’t drift. In that setting the swooping swirl of “Finding Avalon� has drama aplenty and the acoustic guitar and voice of “Black Lake Llyn Y Fan Fach� a gentle dancing lilt. However, as this album wends its way through these misty moorland paths, snow covered peaks and sun dappled lowlands so personally I crave for more heft, more authority and more, well, adventure. Varied, crafted and excellently arranged though everything is, in the end the few heavier riffs leave you wondering where the rest wandered off to, as the passages between them meander and dance with not so much intention. That’s not to say that Lakesongs Of Elbid isn’t good - it is and in fact in places it’s excellent - but there’s a feeling that it promises so much more without ever really delivering.

Class my interest more more piqued than completely grabbed, and it’s also worth holding on to the fact that this is a debut full length offering. Hopefully what comes next takes these beginnings and crafts them into something just a little longer lasting in the memory.

Track Listing
1. The Lake Isle Of Innisfree
2. Arthurian Overture
3. Pagan Spirit
4. The Dream Of Rhonabwy
5. Llyn Cwm Llwch
6. Finding Avalon
7. Canens (Maya)
8. Barrett’s Privateers
9. Black Lake (Llyn Fan Fach)
10. Llyn Y Fan Fawr (Sister Lake)
11. Silvanaplana Rock
12. Camlann

Added: June 11th 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Albion @ bandcamp
Hits: 340
Language: english

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