Album Review: Aureola by Arbouretum

Hush Arbors and Arbouretum, two extremely different outfits that both explore the lineage of progressive folk and its chance encounters with experimental and improvisatory forms, come together on the split album Aureola as distant but loving cousins or possibly two sides of the same coin. Hush Arbors' Keith Wood and crew contribute five drifty tunes of wandering dreamer folk touched by subdued bursts of fuzzed-to-infinity guitar leads. Wood's involvement as a supportive player in Six Organs of Admittance, Current 93, and other more free-form outfits has informed his structured folk with loosely unhinged crosscurrents.

Full Review >>

There are many reasons to be cheerful, despite the impending collapse of the European economy (no, they’ve not sort it yet) and the existence of Ed Sheeran. The emergence of a whole flock of US bands re-imagining the last throes of the Sixties/early Seventies explosion of cosmic American folk rock in the manner of CSNY and The Band is entirely one of them. Rejoice! then for Aureola, the new joint LP from Hush Arbors and Arbouretum on Thrill Jockey, the label that appropriately enough brought you the epic Wooden Shijps and the drifting Americana of Barn Owl.

Full Review >>

What leads bands to do split albums? Besides trying to cross-pollinate the market, one might idealistically suppose that a similar aesthetic is all two bands need to decide to join forces. Though this may end up being a risky proposition; if the bands are too simpatico, their respective sounds may blend together into anonymity. Apparently, mutual appreciation brought Hush Arbors and Arbouretum together for their split Aureoloa on Abrouretum’s label, Thrill Jockey Records.

Full Review >>