...And Then We Saw Land
Britain’s Tunng have never been easy to pigeonhole. Considered “folktronic” because they used electronics with their acoustic instruments and were essentially a duo who employed additional musicians as they saw fit. Tunng are now down to Mike Lindsay and his choice collaborators and are far from what people would consider an “electronic” outfit. (Founding member Sam Genders has left the project.) “Hustle” kicks things off with their unlikeliest of combos. Synths and banjos join together to create the swing of an accessible pop song. “It Breaks” continues in this way with drums and singer Becky Jacobs adding a feminine touch to these carefully orchestrated numbers where despite the organic folk roots, synth undertones still manage to keep a bit of dirt from the garage on the tracks. “The Roadside” again uses Jacobs’ delightfully light vocals with an ensemble of synths and tinkering acoustic instruments. The sound is a bit like an old barn fitted with air conditioning to help ward off those days when the air stagnates from the humidity. With fresh keyboards at his disposal, Lindsay and his cohorts create a new brand of ancient folk-pop.
Tunng's fourth album, released in March 2010.
Weirdo UK folk band gets a lot less weirdo on its latest album, sounding here like skewed pastoral groups the Beta Band and the Incredible String Band.
Continuing to edge farther afield from their pastoral past, Tunng's fourth full-length finds the London folktronic outfit weathering a slight reshuffle (essentially a consolidation of their live and in-studio lineups, with the notable departure of founding member/songwriter/habitual non-performer Sam Genders) and emerging in fine form with their fleshiest effort yet.