The fact that Smoke Fairies very nearly didn’t survive long enough to make it gives their latest, self-titled album added weight, but in truth it doesn’t really need it. This is, for the most part, an atmospheric treat.
Following the release of the duo’s last album, ‘Blood Speaks’, a couple of years ago, Jessica Davies told Katherine Blamire that Smoke Fairies may not have a future. Her change of heart is certainly a welcome one, as this record shows that the band have so much more to say. It’s a collection that takes them in new directions while embellishing their past appeal.
In tandem with producer Kristofer Harris, Davies and Blamire have added subtle hints of electronica to their folk-blues crossover, creating an immersive sound cut through with several shimmering melodies.
“I just wanted to say sorry to her - sorry I scared you like that,” Davies said of the album’s opener We’ve Seen Birds, a “musical apology” that also doubles as one of its most effective hybrids of new and old.
The same is true of the majestic Eclipse Them All and Waiting For Something To Begin, while Shadow Inversions, with its low-end chug and ethereal organ, takes their synth dabblings to a logical extreme that the duo still manage to pull off convincingly.
It’s in these moments that ‘Smoke Fairies’ reaches its full potential, but there are others when hooks don’t quite dig deep enough to differentiate from the mood, which, while beautifully sculpted and maintained, can become a little overbearing.
Smoke Fairies’ next move will be an interesting one, as there are hints here of multiple avenues that they could pursue. And, without looking to the future, there are also some of the best songs of their career to date.
Smoke Fairies Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon May 26 2014 - RAMSGATE Music Hall
Tue May 27 2014 - MANCHESTER Band on the Wall
Wed May 28 2014 - YORK York Duchess
Thu May 29 2014 - LIVERPOOL East Village Arts Club
Fri May 30 2014 - GLASGOW SWG3
Sun June 01 2014 - BIRMINGHAM Hare and Hounds
Mon June 02 2014 - LONDON London XOYO
Tue June 03 2014 - BRISTOL Thekla
Wed June 04 2014 - BRIGHTON Sticky Mike's Frog Bar
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