Hailing from the Midlands, U.K. based psychedelic folk-rock band, The Lords Of Thyme, are due to release their debut album, 'Pellets', on vinyl through Sunstone Records in October. The album features Joe Woolley, the group's main writer, on guitar and lead vocals, Michelle Woolley on vocals, Pat Kenneally on drums, balafon, keyboards and also vocals, Stephen Barlow on pedal steel, and Tali Trow (who also recorded and mixed the album) on bass, guitars, Mellotron, mandola and vocals.
It isn't hard to hear that The Lords of Thyme have followed a path widely spread by folk-rock pioneers, Pentangle and Fairport Convention, by combining traditional English folk music with jazz, rock, and blues…although 'Pellets' is not by any means a simple Fairport Convention inspired folk-rock record; from the very beginning of the album 'til the very end, we are introduced to the Lords Of Thymes' own individualistic folk music genre, their mixing of influences from dark traditional music, to early 1970's introspective psychedelic songs, makes for a unique and original LP. The aesthetic of the album is smothered in influences from the late 1960's and early 1970's; the timbres, which vary from Hammond Organ to raw guitar sounds, were well chosen, and the mix helps a lot in the characterization of the texture in their sound. One thing that differentiates this album from a lot of folk-rock records, is the brilliant keyboard work. You hardly see an arrangement, in the folk genre, where the organ commands the dynamics of the whole song, yet at the same time doesn't overpower a track.
The album opens with traditional English folk song, "Bruton Town". It wouldn't be wrong to say that their version of "Bruton Town" isn't far off the version on Pentangle's first album, or the one sung by Sandy Denny. The track starts with an acoustic guitar, Michelle's melodic vocals follow soon after, introducing the whole band who quietly follow her, soon new elements start to appear and the dynamic grows and grows until the music vanishes into an ambient jam guided by a jazzy drumline and ghostly organ sound. The next track is "George Collins", this one walks more in a folk direction, with acoustic instruments and beautifully arranged well executed vocal harmonies, which emphasise the morbid and dark tone of the lyrics about death.
As a contrast from the previous dense and dark songs, the one that follows up is an upbeat catchy tune. Despite the fact that The Lords Of Thyme' sound is, what you might call, "essentially British", "The Bird It Sang" has one foot firmly in American folk-rock from the sunny West Coast, the general sonority resembles the late 60's and early 70's Grateful Dead songs, and The Byrds guitar rhythms, inspired by Ravi Shankar, while an electric piano fill the gaps between the guitars, vocals and the Hammond organ. The song works very well as an interlude in the record since the previous two tracks, and the anterior as well, are more introspective.
"Freight Train To Rainham" is a short and snappy instrumental British blues number, conducted by an organ reminiscent of John Mayall & The Bluesbrakers. Other highlights are the well-elaborated drumline, the sixties guitar tone and the punctual electric piano phrases. It feels like this track and the next/last song of the album, "Keep On Travelling", could have almost been merged into one track, they are so similar – "Keep On Travelling" works as an abstract of what they actually are, a modern band influenced by the dark melodies of traditional British folk music and the sounds of late-sixties psychedelic electric groups, with special care on the arrangements.