Like the similarly named production issued on parent label Fruits de Mer Records, “The Regal Crabomophone Annual for 2014” is a vinyl single that collects items that were submitted to Fruits de Mer Records sometime during 2013 but for some reason or other didn’t fit in with any of the productions in the making. Leftovers, but too well made ones to be left unreleased. As the songs on this single are original compositions they have been released on Fruits de Mer Records imprint Regal Crabomophone, which was specifically set up to issue new music rather than the cover versions Fruits de Mer are best known for releasing.
The two songs on this single both share a certain folk influenced and pastoral quality, but in wildly different manners. Side A has been given to Mark McDowell’s Girls of Belvoir. A fairly straight forward singer/songwriter construction at heart, revolving around a light toned wandering acoustic guitar motif and lead vocals. With an ongoing flute solo on top emphasizing the pastoral qualities, while mournful violin motif, echoing dark toned guitar riffs and layered effects vocals adds a psychedelic touch. Alongside some psychedelic oriented guitar solo inserts.
Octopus Syng brings something completely different to the table. Spoken vocals and layered, resonating guitar details is the heart and soul of this composition, alternating between a gentle and slowly paced version of this foundation sporting additional brief drum flurries on one hand and a pacefilled, compact construction sporting more intense vocals and ongoing drums with dampened gritty guitars simmering way down in this oddly unbalanced mix the strakly contrasting feature, ebbing out with an alternate version of the initial theme dying out in a gentle cascade of reverbs and surging sound textures.
Two fairly different creations, but both of them with a folk music foundation at heart treated with again fairly diffrent psychedelic flavourings. A single that merits a check by those with a fancy for folk inspired and oriented psychedelic rock and, at least in the case of the B side, those with a soft spot for acid folk in particular I presume.
My rating: 80/100
