THREE CANE WHALE
CD. Idyllic Records

Avoiding all easy attempt at pigeon-holing, Three Cane Whale are a trio of musicians from other bands (Spiro, Get The Blessing, Organelles) with folk and jazz backgrounds, based in Bristol and responsible for a fetchingly left-field collection of instrumentals. Recorded live in an eleven hour session – in a church, no less – this is a collection of quietly affecting tunes that feel like the soundtrack to some pastoral movie.

Blurring folk, jazz and low-key (of, God help us, lo-fi) minimalist pop, spiced with brass and other more esoteric instruments – bowed psaltery, anyone? – this has a very English charm about it. There’s no point picking out individual tracks here – the album works best as a whole piece, whether you listen to it as a background sound or as the soundtrack to (fingers crossed) a summer of relaxing in the garden. It’s unique, hypnotic and genuinely lovely.

DAVID FLINT

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