Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light

(Southern Lord)

Citing such musical reference points as Pentangle, Fairport Convention and Saharan groove pioneers Tinariwen, the latest LP from Seattle languid-rock colossi Earth is – as ever – mesmerising. While not as doom-infused as, say, their canonised 1993 long-player, Earth 2, it bears noting that its producer, Stuart Hallerman, is back at the helm for Angels of Darkness.

The album’s folk-rock influence isn’t readily discernable, but there are some stirring cello passages thanks to Lori Goldston (Nirvana, David Byrne) that weave and underscore melodic narratives, especially across ‘Old Black’ and ‘Father Midnight’. Trundling through dark Americana, Angels… is leaden, capacious and quite beautiful.