Album Review: Lykantropi - Tales To Be Told

There are various varieties of occult/folk/mystical rock floating around out there. What they have in common is an organic sound, and less reliance on the need to be heavy, or that is to say, the need to 'rock'. They bring more intimate settings, they ask bigger questions. I find it a very interesting approach, even if many of the bands have yet to do anything that wows me. Lykantropi caught my ear with their last album, showing a lot of promise. The teasers for this record have spoken to fulfilling that promise, so now is the time to see if they have done just that.

The album leads off with "Coming Your Way", where we get classic under-gained guitars of the vintage variety, a flute melody, and some truly lovely harmony vocals when the main hook comes in. Now, you could say the song is too soft, perhaps too subtle. You wouldn't be wrong in saying that, but it misses the point. This is music for a late night sitting by a fire-pit, or a grey day walking through the woods. You don't need power riffs and searing solos for that. You need atmosphere and calm, which is what Lykantropi is delivering.

If we need a comparison, I would point to Lucifer. There is a similar vintage aesthetic, and a similar vocal timbre, connecting the two bands. However, Lykantropi is a more laid-back, relaxed band. The cascading harmonies are unique among a lot of the bands treading this road, and they are the very best thing about Lykantropi. The songwriting is solid, but admittedly the nature of the music means the hooks are not the biggest and boldest. With those layers of vocals, they have an ethereal weight that is both charming and haunting. That simple choice elevates these tracks to another level.

As the album unfolds, we can call the vibe the autumn that followed the summer of love. There's a very 60s feeling, but it's filtered through a cloudier, darker lens. Lykantropi's music is more the soundtrack to the inevitable crash after the high, a comforting arm around your shoulder welcoming you back to reality. I used the word 'charming' earlier, and I find that the best description. There's something about the record that gives me a wry smile, as if the familiarity of nostalgia is a disguise only we know is being worn.

So let's circle back to the question I was pondering at the start. Does this record live up to the promise I heard in Lykantropi? The answer to that is yes, they more than live up to it. This record consistently offers up tracks shining like gems in the midnight moonlight. The feeling of the record is remarkable, and even if the songs take more time than usual to work their way into our minds, the effort is worth it because of the senses the evoke. Some records are subtle, and I know I'm never going to spend the time getting to know them properly because of that. This record, on the other hand, has an appeal that invites that extra time. It isn't a burden to give this record several chances.

I was pleased to hear a new album was coming, and I was satisfied with the singles as they were released, but hearing the record in full, I'm quite thrilled to see Lykantropi growing into the band I thought they could be. This won't be for everyone, or for every mood, but it's a beautiful sound when the time is right.