The British folk scene has been around in various forms since the mid 1960s, when groups like The Pentangle, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span formed and achieved a fair amount of popularity in the UK, and a sort of cult following in the US. While some of the pioneers in the style have passed away, some like Richard Thompson continue. The music has continued to a next generation, though there are not as many groups carrying on the style. This week we have one, it’s Snowgoose, and their new third album is called Descendant.

Snowgoose are actually from Scotland, with their two principal members being multi-instrumentalist Jim McCulloch, who was a member of the Soup Dragons and BMX Bandits, and vocalist Anna Sheard. The original configuration was a trio with bassist Dave McGowan. They released their debut album Harmony Springs in 2012, which got a lot of favorable reviews, and was one of our featured albums on Mixed Bag at the time. The group evoked the sound of the Pentangle, with their often jazzy complex rhythms, and Anna Sheard’s vocals, which bore more than a passing resemblance to The Pentangle’s Jacqui McShee. It was eight years before they followed that up with The Making Of You in 2020. And now after another four years, they are out with Descendant. The new album features many of the same players as Harmony Springs, 12 years ago, including Raymond McGinly of the band Teenage Fanclub, on guitar, and drummer Stuart Kidd, of McCulloch’s old band BMX Bandits. Other members of the cast on Descendant are Stevie Jones on bass, and Chris Geddes, of the band Belle and Sebastian, on keyboards. The liner notes said that they recorded the album live in a studio in Glasgow, and the music comes across as quite an honest performance, rather than something assembled from parts in the studio. The music blends the influence of British folk with a more electric setting, including with a little steel guitar, with some lyrics that hint at traditional lore in the manner of the Pentangle or Fairport Convention. But there is also often a melodic bounce to the music that evokes the sound pop of the Sixties British invasion bands.

Opening is a piece called Better Listen which combines the upbeat, tuneful side of the band, with the rhythmically tricky musical structure that is reminiscent of the Pentangle. Ms. Sheard’s soprano does bear a resemblance to the Pentangle’s McShee. <<>>

A song called Salix is one of the more interesting with the way it pops back and forth between major and minor chords, with some intriguing lyrics. <<>>

The Fall resembles some of the more classic British folk, with its lyrics that hint at old traditional songs. <<>>

Good Medicine takes a rather different direction, with hints of a cabaret ballad in its mood both musically and lyrically. <<>>

A song called Sorrow shows an intriguing contrast between the melodic, almost happy tune, and the not-so-happy lyrics. <<>>

With no lyrics at all is a piece called Fugue State with Ms. Sheard doing wordless vocals in a kind of happy-go-lucky sounding tune. <<>>

A track named Call for Peace is a kind of vague indictment of the immorality of the powers that be, with a musical accompaniment that implies that kind of lament. <<>>

The title piece, Descendant is highlight of the album, with sort of philosophical lyrics in a the jazzy waltz time setting that Snowgoose favors. <<>>

Descendant, the new third album from the Scottish group Snowgoose, carries on with the nicely done British folk influence that principal members Jim McCulloch and Anna Sheard have been doing since their debut album twelve years ago. Ms. Sheard can bear a resemblance vocally to the Pentangle’s Jacqui McShee, and the group’s music has some of the jazzy rhythmic influence that marked the Pentangle a half century ago. Their lyrics are less traditional-sounding that the English folk groups of in their heyday, but there is a little of that influence here and there on the album. The result is engaging and appealing listening that should find an audience among those who remember the English folk days as well as those hearing it as something new.

Our grade for audio quality is close to an “A.” with good clarity, and Ms. Sheard’s vocals given a warm, intimate sound. Though there is some vocal overdubbing, the album is pretty much devoid of unnecessary studio effects, with their publicity saying that the album was recorded live.

Snowgoose are not exactly very prolific, with Descendant being only their third album in a dozen years, but for those of us who previously discovered the group, it was worth the wait, and it’s also a nice way to get to know this band of Scots who are evoking the English folk sound.

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<<>> indicates audio excerpt played in produced radio review

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