Virus Meadow

For their second full album, the Trees developed an even more arty approach than before, establishing what would become their basic sound for a number of years to come. Stripping down the instrumentation on most of the songs to a dark rhythm drive from Burrows and Havas, Justin Jones here concentrates on a series of electric guitar parts which combine the liquid touches of flange effects and folky runs on the frets, avoiding crunch in favor of delicacy, to create marvelously evocative musical shadings, rich in atmosphere. Along with Simon Jones' sometimes extravagant lyrical images of an older, more rustic and mystic time, with hints of Wordsworth's early Romantic poetry throughout - "The Headless Clay Woman" and "The Dwelling Place" give a hint as the at once nostalgic and dramatic direction - it gives Meadow a unique flavor for Eighties British rock. While some of the Trees' aesthetic may spring from the same creative well as a number of moodier British folk-based artists from earlier days - some of Nick Drake's more metaphoric numbers sprung to mind - the goth-tinged feel of the music makes Meadow all the more distinct. One could easily imagine it soundtracking an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, if not something even older. Some numbers, like "Vincent Craine," have a more conventional rock approach, but this is counterbalanced by the album's highlight, "Gone...Like the Swallows," a richly textured, powerful song featuring all the band members at their best. ~ Ned Raggett