After listening to the beautifully choral teaser from Rebecca Palin's soul in opener Southern Climes welcoming us in: "as our journey has begun, as we fly into the sun.", you'd be forgiven for estimating that the remaining tracks would be a one trick pony where the accompanying music is lacklustre and dependant on the vocal gimmick. Although to be fair there are times when it's the most powerful element, for instance on Timeline of Old and Under Your Wind but in these cases it's purposely given the front stage backed minimally by country western acoustic guitars and woodblocks, steady percussion. It's hard to argue that with a voice like that, it deserves some time to be flaunted.

 

More than most it's equal to other instruments and admirably doesn't overpower or outshine the other elements and the operatic sunshine acts more as a thread connecting the album together like how the boy soprano links the cinematography in Peter Greenaway's film The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover but dosen't hog the limelight. This is a very smart move and one main reason for this considerate balance is down to the brilliant and talented electric guitar riffs from Tim McIver. In fact, what makes the album so thrilling is the constant battle for supremacy between the Clannad-style voice and the enlightened guitars. "I can't make my voice any louder" states Rebecca Palin on Breathe in.

 

A great example of this fight is half way through on The Deep in which McIver borrows a Van Halen/U2 guitar-tinkering to give an 80s stadium rock sound which get's simulteanously stronger before championing over Palin's angelic sonics. That's why this album ought to be considered as dreamy rock rather than indie pop.

 

There are times when the arrangement falls into commerically-friendly alternative rock territory of fellow Welsh band Feeder, pop indie rock of bands such as Walk The Moon and the interesting combination of the orchestrally trained voice with the rockier instruments which naturally draws comparisons to compatriots to symphonic rock groups Within Temptation and Nightwish, minus the gothic clothing, allustrious long hair (Palin's hair is short) and dark make-up but whatever style it inhabits, it attempt to surprise. Most notably on title track Ancient Blue, succeeding the confident lyric "watch me as I rise and fall.", it transforms into Grimes meets James Blake post-dub step remixing of itself and repeiting it's chorus in a cool jumpy rhythm that gives the track an energetic climax.

 

It's hard to know completely what audience Golden Fables will attract due to the schizophrenic conjunction of elements but if they can take comfort from the example of Wild Beasts. The Kendal out-fit have miracliously ultilized an intially startiling falsetto with rock and as a result have reached the top of the indie pedastal and become the new band that critics drool over in anticipation. Maybe Golden Fable can shimmer with the same rewards, MTH

 

Best Tracks: Southern Climes, Breathe In and Ancient Blue