...And Then We Saw Land

Britain’s Tunng have never been easy to pigeonhole. Considered “folktronic” because they used electronics with their acoustic instruments and were essentially a duo who employed additional musicians as they saw fit. Tunng are now down to Mike Lindsay and his choice collaborators and are far from what people would consider an “electronic” outfit. (Founding member Sam Genders has left the project.) “Hustle” kicks things off with their unlikeliest of combos. Synths and banjos join together to create the swing of an accessible pop song. “It Breaks” continues in this way with drums and singer Becky Jacobs adding a feminine touch to these carefully orchestrated numbers where despite the organic folk roots, synth undertones still manage to keep a bit of dirt from the garage on the tracks. “The Roadside” again uses Jacobs’ delightfully light vocals with an ensemble of synths and tinkering acoustic instruments. The sound is a bit like an old barn fitted with air conditioning to help ward off those days when the air stagnates from the humidity. With fresh keyboards at his disposal, Lindsay and his cohorts create a new brand of ancient folk-pop.