Solomon's Seal (Deluxe Edition)

The sixth and final album by Pentangle's original incarnation was, like the preceding Reflection, a disappointment, if only in relation to the high standards set by the group's first batch of LPs. As on Reflection, there's an expansion into some wider use of electric guitars, sometimes mildly distorted. There's a narrower scope of styles than on Reflection, though not to the band's detriment, as the bandmembers concentrate on the folk-jazz-blues blends that were their greatest strengths, rather than venturing into some different styles at which they weren't as capable. Ultimately, there's nothing seriously wrong with the record, other than a certain complacency and lack of the fiery inspiration and risk-taking that had fueled their greatest previous heights. Divided between group originals and traditional folk songs like "Sally Free and Easy" and "Willy O'Winsbury," none of the individual tracks would rate among their best. Among the better ones, though, are "The Cherry Tree Carol," with McShee's habitual haunted vocals, "The Snows," with its dashes of sitar textures, and "No Love Is Sorrow," with its close male-female harmonies. ~ Richie Unterberger