Wildwood Kin - Turning Tides

The Guardian 40

(Silvertone/Sony)

Wildwood Kin arrive into folk fully formed and primed for the mainstream, their hair art-directed into waves or hidden under edgy beanies. An album as Seth Lakeman’s backing band and Radio 2 folk award nods means their legwork is clear, as does the way their voices mesh lushly together, reflecting a lifetime singing as a family (Emillie, sister Beth and cousin Meghann first publicly harmonised at primary school). Nevertheless, there’s something oleaginously focus-grouped about Turning Tides, as if someone added Haim and Mumford & Sons together in a marketing meeting, and exploded in dollar signs. Big production rules here: Run is radio-friendly harmony at Fleetwood Mac levels, while Taking a Hold and Warrior Daughter seem expertly sculpted for the more melancholy end credits of a Game of Thrones episode. The Valley is the sweetest song here, but it sounded better on their simpler, straighter 2015 EP, Salt of the Earth. That had soul. This is for the sales.

Thu Aug 17 17:30:00 GMT 2017

The Guardian 40

Silvertone

“Anglo/Americana” they call it, this punch of diluted flavours: a teeny bit folky, a teeny bit country, a teeny, teeny bit blues-rocky. Really, it’s just MOR adult pop, and these two sisters and a cousin from Exeter are at their best when their three-part harmonies approach (from a distance) the gutsiness of Haim on Run, with its big, shameless heartbeat drums and hooky chorus. Less winning are the wafty Dove, with its off-the-peg alt-reverb, or the naff, stomping-Boudicca braggadocio of Warrior Daughter, weak chimeras of current stylings. Still, the swoop and swell of their voices together can’t help but please the ear, and they’ll likely go far.

Sun Aug 20 07:00:36 GMT 2017