Counterclockwise is the seventh studio album by Faun Fables the folk duo of Dawn McCarthy and Nils Frykdahl whose three daughters Gudrin, Edda and Ura are now involved in the band, along with Arild Hammero, they self-produced this album.
The album opens with the flutetastic The Wedding that has an ethereal folk plainsong feel, to this song of finally managing to marry off the awkward homebody children.
Ember Bell sounds like the sister, of the name on the gravestone that always makes me smile when I see it for Dumba Bell, this takes us deep into the forest, to a clearing where the small warm hand has been learning the ancient secrets of campanology, this haunting feeling of angelic vocals whispering at you from the trees above, making Dawn listen to those internal rhythms of life stirring within.
Washing Song is a folk work song, for the sort of wash day that involves manual labour, to help doing all that hand washing of everyone's work clothes go easier, the main vocals have echoes of Linda Thompson.
Widdershins takes us into the witches garden, to stretch out time, mainge us feel like we are back in the 17th century once more, while everything turns Counterclockwise.
Black Diamond is a cover of the Bee Gees 60's overlooked gem, that somehow I seem to know all the words too, this is a lovely version, that feels like Cher in the late 60's singing bucolic folk songs, this is quite wonderful.
Elfrida is in praise of the mythical long-lost lady, the harmony vocals accentuate this sorrowful tale, with gently persuasive acoustic guitar helping tell the folk tale.
Fearful Names of those lost in the hayloft, the alternating vocals against the sparing backing, make concentrating on the lyrics important.
Black Angels (Czarne Anioly) is in no way as frightening at The Velvet Undergrounds Black Angels Death Song, impish involving lyrical traces, set deep within the plucked backing, helping to demonstrate how you create a Black Angel.
Woolsey Street & The Lake Of Fire is every bit as dark and scary as the title suggests, a dark tale of despair, in the flames lighting those coffin nails, dragging you into sickness and despair, the only way to save yourself is to quit those cancer sticks now.
Sugar Camp makes it sound like your being taken to the plantation to toil away, under the bright sun, tribal drumming keeping the beat you should follow, while you work, all the tools of the trade are discussed in the harmony chorus, the first prominent electric guitar solo weaves through the centre of this song.
Lullaby slowly helps you drift away to sleep on a sea of enigmatic voices, watching the leaves slowly flutter to the ground beneath you, the vocals resonating around whatever room they were recorded in, in rather magical ways.
Hiawatha is a soft gentle version of part of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's classic, with sparse backing, vocal harmonies tell this tale once more.
Wonderous Stories is a cover of the hit by Yes and of course it sounds better than the original, but I have never liked Yes, this is slow sepulchral folk with a wistful edge, this song always works best with female vocals.
Maybe takes the theme song to Grizzly Adams and makes it into a beautiful song of praise, for living in harmony with nature, with a home in the middle of nowhere.
Joy Of Counterclockwise seems like a hymn of praise to living in the southern hemisphere and watching the water go the wrong way down the sink hole, they explore lots of other magical Counterclockwise things gently, before the recorders come in to add an edge to the sound.
The album concludes with Celestial Bell that rings out angelically while the flutes flutter in the distant woods, is that a zither bending time and reshaping our minds to accept that feeling of calmness this song should engender in you.
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