cloud horizons

‘The Darkening’ is the Northumbrian term for twilight and the music of cloud horizons is crepuscular. The lyrics of ‘Long for Light’ are opaque, familiar but not entirely comprehensible – the sonic equivalent of something seen in the distance after sunset.

Kathryn Tickell's Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle are complemented by Amy Thatcher's accordion and clogs (clattering to the fore in ‘Clogstravangza’) and Josie Duncan's clarsach. All very traditional. But Thatcher also plays synth. Joe Truswell, drums, adds masterful programming. Ah, so this is folk-electronica fusion in the vein of Martyn Bennett.

Not so fast. Vocalist Stef Conner plays lyres and sistrum, a sacred percussion instrument of ancient Egypt. Here's a song about taking the bone from the wing of a bird and making it sing. Is there an instrument older than the bone flute? What we have here, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening say, is ‘Ancient Northumbrian Futurism.’

This is not without risks: ‘Gods of War’ involves chanting and veers dangerously towards the parodic. But Tickell's piping on ‘Quilley Reel’ sparkles then morphs into trippy electro beats; in ‘Caelestis’ (which means ‘of the sky, heavenly’) pipes and lyre lead on to overlapping vocals and electronics, and, mostly, cloud horizons is exhilarating.