Short Reviews [ Fernwood - 2008 - "Almeria"]

I was perusing Facebook one night, and I saw a post from Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet) about Fernwood, a band I had never heard of before. A conversation followed and I was soon presented with three albums by a band I had never heard of, but even before I listened to this 2008 release I knew I was likely in for a treat given the instrumentation. Fernwood comprises just two musicians, Gayle and Todd Montgomery but while there are just two people involved they certainly make up for it in terms of what they play. Gayle provides Greek Bouzouki, ruan, harmonium, oud, guitar, slide guitar, e-bow, bulbul tarang, gobijen, dotara, organ, Rhodes piano, electric 5-string bass, and double bass while Todd gives us Irish bouzouki, sitar, mandolin, guitar, and slide guitar. The result is an album which is stunningly beautiful in every way. In some manners it is quite reminiscent of Anthony Phillips, but there is a density here, somehow combined with space and folk elements while different European cultures also have their part to play. If I had been asked to discern where this album had originated I would have guessed somewhere like Hungary or the Balkans, never that it came from America from musicians who do not normally immerse themselves deeply in this style. It is music to relax to, to listen to on headphones and be taken to a totally different world where we are in times past and everything is hopeful. It is timeless, and all it wants from the listener is to have some time devoted it where nothing else matters, and one can attempt to get inside the many layers of acoustic instruments to recognise that at times all that should matter is gently caressed strings by masters of their craft.