Description

In the late ’60s/early ’70s, Pentangle stood at the forefront of British folk-rock. The band’s unique style imaginatively combined an improvisational, jazzy aesthetic with the sound practiced by bands like Fairport Convention. On this ’98 release only singer McShee is left from the original lineup, but PASSE AVANT does the Pentangle legacy proud, updating British folk traditions for the present day. As ever, McShee’s voice is a marvel, strong but understated and full of quiet character. Some 30 years down the road, her singing shows not a single sign of wear.

To this new Pentangle’s credit, they don’t try to recreate the classic Pentangle sound. Instead, they bring old British folk styles into the ’90s, making effective, subtle use of electronics to provide the heady atmosphere that marks PASSE AVANT as an album squarely in the grand Pentangle tradition of mixing past with present.

Track Listing

The House Carpenter
The Nightingale
Gypsy Countess, Pt. 2
That’s the Way It Is (Matt’s Song)
Jardin’s d’Amour (In the Garden of Love)
We’ll Be Together Again
Edsong
Lagan Love
Midnight Dance (Aging Salomi)
Just for You (Song for Cath)