Richard Norris’ latest project is a haunting portrait of traditional folklore and psychedelic mystery. Impeccably produced, ‘The Lore of the Land’ cherry picks from its influences while generally honouring the luminous personalities of each performer. That said, the chords on ‘Money Can’t Buy’ are a little too close to Nick Drake’s ‘Day is Done’. Essentially strings themselves, the vocals are enchanting but become diaphanous and lost when overwhelmed by grand arrangements; they are better served with Norris’ subtler, crisper backdrops, as on the gorgeous ‘Wishing Well’. This record is a curious listen that occasionally falls short of the true bliss its forest-y aesthetic entails. It is, nonetheless, worth the time of folk-loving ears.
20/30
A favourite: ‘Wishing Well’
‘The Lore of the Land’ is available now via Group Mind.
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