Magpie Wedding
Torches

The packaging of this CD is excellent. Entirely made of cardboard, handcrafted, simple and elegant, with a beautiful image drawn by Michelle Enemark.

Let's talk about Magpie Wedding, an emerging band whose members live in Bologna but, as you can read on their meticulously curated website, come from Italy and England. We are in the field of "contaminated" folk, as they describe themselves in their biographical notes.

The opening of "Torches" (Starling Tunnel Records) is entrusted to Time Yet, which starts with musical "noises" that pave the way for an effective guitar arpeggio: the "noises" are not just an apparent trivial "flair," but will be an integral part of the track, rhythmically fitting into the song's structure. The insertion of the violin and the guitars takes us to atmospheres far removed from folk/post-rock and might remind one of some works by Terje Rypdal. Grace Fox's voice is very enchanting: a search for a hypothetical "related file" could result in Nico of Chelsea Girl.
The second track, All Without Leave, also features a guitar arpeggio as the base of the sonic backdrop, but soon expands to the accordion, which, together with the voice, creates a very captivating atmosphere, truly illustrative of the band's sound: a genuine and balanced mix between folk (one might dare to define it as dark-folk) and indie-rock. The atmospheres remain dark and evocative with the third track, Daughter of the Plains, enhanced by the sound of the glockenspiel. A little gem of just under three minutes. 

A moment of more traditional folk (some elements of Renaissance come to mind, both for the melody and for the end of the piece entrusted to a "romantic" piano) is found in Train Song: once again, the guitar is the main rhythmic base, with a very present and rather hard-sounding bass, creating a nice sonic backdrop for the voice and the violin. The atmospheres are still dark, but never obsessive. 
September Song, brings a bit of light, the atmospheres change, the guitars slightly ripple, the rhythm is that of many old ballads (part of it can be linked to the English folk-revival scene of the late '60s) but does not depart from the overall sound of the album, a sign of a decisive musical style of the band. Probably a greater emphasis on the voice during mixing would have further improved one of the most beautiful pieces of this EP.

The end of the CD sees the return of more delicate atmospheres, highlighting Grace Fox's vocal tone, in this particularly rich-in-pathos track. Not an original piece in structure and harmony, but still pleasant and "emotional," especially in the singing and the "full" finale.

In summary, the listening of Magpie Wedding and their "Torches" is highly recommended. An elegant album, which, although unusual, manages to avoid the typical contrivances of many indie productions.
Information on purchasing the CD, concert dates, and more general details about the band can be found on the website http://www.magpiewedding.com.