Golden Fable is a side-project of Tim McIver and Rebecca Palin of pastoral indie-folk purveyors Tim and Sam’s Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam. A “new challenge” rather than the end of the old band it seems. With members of the band scattered across the UK it proved difficult to make progress on new Tim and Sam material; however as a duo McIver and Palin managed to write, record and produce a Golden Fable album in under six months.
This double A-sided single is the first published fruits of their work. ‘The Chill Pt. 2’ starts with softly scuffed programmed beats, sombre echoing keyboards and eerie, haunting vocals from Ms Palin. Summer is definitely mentioned but this feels initially like something more glacially Scandinavian than the warm bucolic sounds of Tim and Sam album “Lifestream” – more Fever Ray rather forests-and-flora-and-fauna nature hymns. ‘The Golden Hour’ is closer in feel to those earlier instrumental idylls with its rich textures and uplifting orchestration: opening with twittering birds and repetitive plucked acoustic guitar before adding in densely layered synths, gently tinkling glockenspiel and finally some wordless female vocals. If ‘The Chill Pt. 2’ is a little, ahem, cooler, then ‘The Golden Hour’ is imbued with the rosy warmth of a summer’s sunrise.
A charismatic and intriguing pairing of songs that point as much away as towards their alma mater. Tim and ‘Becca’s new found band may have shortened the name but there’s no short-changing of quality: rich, multilayered folk-pop goodness whether hot or cold. ‘The Chill Pt.2’ is available as a free download or to order as a limited hand-packaged CD (out 7 November). The full Golden Fable album will follow in 2012.
Golden Fable The Chill Pt.2 [BUY]
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