Shovel Dance Collective – “The Merry Golden Tree”

The UK has had a fine run of trad folk lately — from Daisy Rickman and the full Broadside Hacks roster, but there’s always room for one more on the speakers. American Dreams announces this week, the second album from sprawling, nine-piece folk group Shovel Dance Collective. Tackling the traditional song “The Merry Golden Tree,” the band swaps between austerity and the almost overwhelming beauty of voices and strings in unison. The band straddles the pub n pulpit, feeling like they’d be at home in the round of a favorite local and just as at ease in the opera house. The song resonates, deep and sonorous, shaking the listener out of stasis with wondrously layered delivery. The eponymous new record is out October 11th from American Dreams.

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