Dublin, Ireland [Deram SDL 7]
AMG Review by Jon Pruett
Filled with multi-layered harmonies and complex arrangements, this unfortunately underlooked album of beautiful, flowing, and wonderfully recorded British folk-rock (originally released in 1972) has been a favorite of record collectors for years. Luckily, the strength of the music holds up beyond its scarcity. Not merely electric updates of lost traditional numbers, the album works because it establishes a voice and a sound that is truly compelling. The arrangements range from the zigzagging light progressive bent of the opener, "Heaven Heath," to the more storming tempo changes of "Dan the Wing." Strewn across the record is some truly remarkable guitar work, with the blanks filled in with lush violin and piano fills. The high-toned, occasionally strained interplay of Alison Williams and Clodagh Simonds may not always reach the notes as they ought to be reached (this rings especially true on the bombastic "The Poet and the Witch," an otherwise fine song), but their voices have their own peaceful rewards. The vocals see most of their limitations during the more up-tempo numbers -- which is fine, seeing that this record is able to soar on the quieter moments. On "Silver Song" (the one track that was actually released as a single with "Dan the Wing" during Mellow Candle's short tenure at Decca's Deram Records offshoot), the band falls into a mid-paced ethereal haze, within which it finds its strongest points. Gliding guitars and equally haunted vocals wrap around each other in a fog of vaguely mystical lyrics. The crystal clear recording and the lack of reliance on overly fantastical lyrics make Swaddling Songs sound remarkably current. Anyone who is able to track down the CD reissue will be more than pleased with this lost treasure.
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Mellow Candle were an Irish group, with an English folk-rock sound, who released one album and then disappeared due to lack of public response. Having gained greater appreciation among folk collectors over the intervening years, not only was this album was resurrected on CD, but another CD made up of previously unreleased recordings was also released. Sometimes justice is dealt out in retrospect, because Mellow Candle are a worthy band.
Clodagh Simonds and Alison Williams share vocal duties, and work exceptionally well together. They are at their most reliable on slower songs, such as the wonderfully atmospheric "Reverend Sisters" or "Silver Song", but occasionally manage to pull out an exceptional performance on the more raucous songs, such as the final track, "Boulders on My Grave."
The songwriting is very solid, and is, despite a number of fairly conventional songs, occasionally quite adventurous. Most songs are in a comfortable triple meter, but on a few tracks they jump from one time signature to the other with gay abandon. The compositions are approached with a sense of naïve adventure, and are played with such energy and clear enjoyment that on the odd occasion where they misstep, I find it quite easy to forgive them.
While all the songs are of reasonable quality, there are a few which stand out for me. "Dan the Wing" is a song about an encounter with the spirit world in the great folk tradition, whose supernatural theme is accentuated by its shifting metre. "Reverend Sisters" is an example of a straightforward song written well; a piano with the sustain pedal down accompanies a simple yet haunting melody sung in close harmony. The closing "Boulders on My Grave" is the closest the band come to Irish folk, with its jig rhythm, and is a wonderful way to finish the album.
Swaddling Songs was a slow grower for me. I never thought it was a bad album, but I did think it vastly overrated. There is, however, a lot to this album, and most of it fits so well that the depth and charm isn't obvious until after a number of listenings. Although Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention remain more essential examples of the British style of folk-rock to my way of thinking, Mellow Candle certainly aren't far behind, and are essential for those who consider themselves folk-rock fans.
Review by Conrad Leviston
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Reviewer: A music fan
Despite the fact that after thirty years "Swaddling Songs" is less of a challenge to listen to than it would have been in 1972, it still stands as a most brilliant documentation of the childhood lives of Clodagh Simonds and Allison Williams.
Having grown up in the strict Holy Child Convent School in Dublin, the two women were forbidden to listen to rock music, but listened covertly to Radio Luxembourg each night. Only when Simonds began writing a succession of hymnal pop tunes on her parents' piano did the two lives begin to converge.
After several false starts, Mellow Candle began to record "Swaddling Songs" in 1971 after moving to London, when Simonds was only eighteen. Though apparently not many songs had been written by Simonds herself, the results were amazing even after thirty years.
"Heaven Heath" and "Messenger Birds", both written by Allison Williams (née O'Donnell) Simonds' longtime schoolmate, added a contrasting touch to the album. Retaining the hymnal flavour of Simonds' songs, they are nontheless much odder in their melodies and rhythma, especially "Heaven Heath"'s brilliant harpsichord line, but retain the accessible melodies and amazingly beautiful vocals. "Messenger Birds" sets the mystical tone of the album - remiscent in places of Kate Bush's work on "The Ninth Wave" in its tale of travelling across the sea.
"Sheep Season" with its long instrumental outro and "Silver Song" (once covered by My Bloody Valentine) show the typical Simonds style of haunting and atmospheric pop tunes, not at all folky in instrumentation or sound. "Dan The Wing" was an amazing drama about evil, beating Laura Nyro's "Eli And The Thirteenth Confession" or Kate Bush's "The Dreaming" for explicit imagery of the Devil. "Break Your Token" was an upbeat, festive rocker, whilst the amazing overlaying of a guitar solo and beautiful vocals on "Lonely Man" was worth the price of admission alone. The closer "Boulders On My Grave" continued in that vein with Clodagh and Allison repeatedly chanting "Do do do do", "La la la la" and "Na na na na" in perfect harmony.
The album's centrepiece, though, was the amazing, chilling, piano-only "Reverend Sisters", in which the women's beautiful voices matched Simonds' amazing piano line and lyrics describing brilliantly the women's strict religious upbringing and its effects on them - almost a taste of Tori Amos twenty years before the fact. "Reverend Sisters" was remarkably honest yet not a preachy attack on religion - it was a matter-of-fact tale that will always amaze those fortunate enough to hear it.
"Buy Or Beware" and "Vile Excesses" rounded of the album excellently. Because of the (for its time) very difficult lyrical imagery, "Swaddling Songs" never charted and would not have been warmly received by critics. Mellow Candle soon disbanded and Simonds spent most of the 1970s working as a session singer.
Nonetheless, the beautiful, almost medieval-like vocal harmonies in "Swaddling Songs" were and unlike anything else in rock. Though the album has been seen as a folk album, "Swaddling Songs" in fact lacked any normal "folk" characteristics and was basically pure pop in charcter. Yet, the medieval and intensely mystical atmosphere of the record makes it a true sonic marvel of beauty and simple melodies. Thus, original LP copies of "Swaddling Songs" have become a valuable rarity that stands as testimony to the music's worthiness.
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Prog Archives
3 stars by Sean Trane (Hugues Chantraine)
A nice folk-rock album that fits that mould perfectly but does not bring anything new to the style and certainly no more to originality. The songs are fairly short and standard with good musicianship and sometimes gorgeous harmonies and melodies. The female singer has a typical voice in the mould of Maddy Prior of Steeleye, Sandy Denny of Fairport, Jacqui McShee of Pentangle and Celia Humphrys of the Trees, but the music here certainly is not up to par with the last two groups mentioned in that list. Don't get me wrong , this is a fine enjoyable album , but nothing special and there are many other folk-rock bands to investigate before hunting down this one, but it will be a good addition to your collection if you are into that style of music ( and I am )
4 stars by NJprogfan (Ray Rappisi Jr)
One shot album that should not be missed by any fan into folk/prog. Excellent muscianship, although at first you might be taken by the women singing which are angelic on tracks like, "Heaven Health" and "Sheep Season", (my favorite song) and then rock on tracks like, "The Poet and The Witch" and "Dan The Wing". The first few tracks have a very modern folk sound which wouldn't sound out of place on a Sarah McLachlan album, superb! The only track that keeps this from a five-star rating is "Lonely Man" a bluesy rocker that sounds dated and sticks out like a sore thumb. The one thing that I love about this album is that you can concentrate on the singing all the way through, then play it again and just listen to the instruments. It just doesn't get boring, (like some folk albums). This compares to the best of Steeleye Span, Lindisfarne, and Fairport Convention. A must buy four-star folk/prog gem
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