Nickie’s Niches 16: May 2023

Artist Song Time Album Year Solstice 0:32 Solstice Mount Ephraim 5:54 Light Up 2022 Peter Lawson 0:27 Peter Lawson/Venus Loon Canticum pro mortis 3:19 10 of Swords 2023 Mice On Stilts 0:45 Mice On Stilts Anxiety Baby 6:04 I Am Proud of You 2023 Exploring Birdsong 0:28 Exploring Birdsong Bear the Weight 5:00 Dancing in the Face of Danger 2023 compassionizer 0:28 Compassionizer As Smoke is Driven Away 20:18 As Smoke Is Driven Away (EP) 2023 Lankum 0:47 Lankum Lord Abore and Mary Flynn 8:36 False Lankum 2023 Deposed King 0:29 Deposed King Path Of Forlorn 7:39 One Man’s Grief 2023 Not on Bandcamp: Solstice “Light Up” This is an intriguing mix of folk, with neo-prog, art rock, and even some funk thrown in. As suspected by the name, there’s a generous dash of world and Celtic also. Jess Holland’s voice is what cements the whole thing together, in my book, with superb support from bandmates (Andy Glass ) guitars and vocals, (Steven McDaniel ) keyboards, (Robin Phillips) bass,(Peter Hemsley) drums and fiddle and viola (provided by Jenny Newman). I absolutely love the sheer energy and excitement of (5:59) “Mount Ephriam. 10 of Swords by Peter Lawson/Venus Loon favorite track Canticum pro mortis This time Peter Lawson draws on the Tarot card of 10 of Swords for inspiration. The 10 of Swords typically represents destruction, or an inability to act due to multiple reasons. Not a card of death, but a challenge to overcome. Much of the release reflects this general anxiety and forcefulness, with driving guitars and effected vocals. Space and psych abound. I Am Proud of You by Mice on Stilts favorite track Anxiety Baby The introspective lyrics and vocals are an examination of addiction and recovery. The music is mostly acoustic in feeling, with pervasive melancholy throughout. The sliding string arrangements echo the instability of retaining sobriety. Folk is a strong descriptor, but the lush orchestration adds a crossover prog element to the overall sensation of the material. In his world, nothing is going right, but you are left with a sense of hopefulness. Dancing in the Face Of Danger by Exploring Birdsong favorite track Bear the Weight A second EP from this trio, who do not feature guitar in their instrumentation. Despite that, it is a very satisfying progressive rock outfit,