In 2017, I was introduced to an outstanding band out of the UK called Galley Beggar. With a blend of traditional folk music and ’60s-era psychedelic rock, Galley Beggar released one of my favorite albums of 2017 with Heathen Hymns. The band definitely turned some heads with this release, but unfortunately, Galley Beggar disbanded not long after the conclusion of shows supporting the album. Like all great stories, where one chapter ends, another begins, and this time around, the new chapter is Guillotine Spring.
Featuring core members/songwriters (and husband and wife) Mat and Maria Fowler, Guillotine Spring has emerged with their debut album, Eclosion. While Mat and Maria were the creative nucleus of Galley Beggar, Eclosion isn’t just a continuation of what Galley Beggar was. If anything, it’s like a 3rd cousin of sorts as it displays a different, darker, more sinister, haunting vibe while keeping it in the psychedelic folk/rock family.
As cliché as it may sound, Eclosion is a sort of soundtrack to a mentally visual journey. I closed my eyes to settle in and knew I would take somewhere special. Starting with “Lavender Blue,” the dynamic, woodsy voice of Maria Fowler seemed to feel like an extended arm and welcome hand to guide me on a journey of the mind. On this cosmic journey, I felt like I was being guided through a sonic landscape of vines and intertwining paths through a lush forest of psychedelia.
Reaching a clearing, “Lolita” awaited me as if I was being introduced to this mysterious character. Fowler describes her in such detail that it felt as if I was observing this character as an unseen ghost in another plane. The album’s title track, in my opinion, is where shit got real. This song had such a strong Dr. John (ala Gris Gris), and along with it came a feeling of curiosity, slight discomfort, and awe. It’s almost a kind of curiosity-killed-the-cat kind of scenario. You know it may be uncomfortable, and you don’t know what awaits you within, but you can’t help but go there and want to go there repeatedly.
Breaking away from the folky elements, “Black Flowers” comes forward boasting a groove-oriented psych-rock vibe that popped out as a pleasant surprise only to be followed by the Black Sabbath-inspired “Wednesday’s Child.” So many times have I heard bands lean on Black Sabbath as a crutch in order. Instead of re-using the tired and overplayed aspect of, say, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” Guillotine Spring chose to dive deeper into the more folky elements of Sabbath, such as “Sleeping Village” and “The Warning.”
I could go on for pages about how much I enjoyed Eclosion. In my 14 years as a music journalist, I learned that if an album is truly spectacular, the review will write itself. I didn’t even have to think much about this album in terms of putting it into words. Eclosion is a sonic, aural journey of the mind, and it’s a journey that can be enjoyed in any “mindset,” if you know what I mean. Settle in, put on Eclosion, and follow the flow it has created. Guillotine Spring will set itself up for many great things if this debut is any indication.
Eclosion will be released on March 20th independently and can be pre-ordered HERE.
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