HEXVESSEL – the fourth strike! After the much 70s influenced When We Are Death and Matt McNerneys omnipresence, HEXVESSEL return to their Folk roots on the successor All Tree.
All Tree is puristic orchestrated, more acoustic and dreamy and somewhat airy-fairy. The one or the other joint might have helped creating this album. But, attention! All Tree is no lovely beautiful and hippie-like record! This album is rather melancholic, twisted here and there, as known from early 70s psychedelic Folk releases from bands such as Comus and The Incredible String Band. Also Nick Drake might come to mind at quieter passages.
Jointly responsible for the turn in HEXVESSELs music might be the return of co-songwriter Andrew McIvor. He kept HEXVESSEL from becoming a folky version of the Grave Pleasures, the one or the other might have been afraid of after the release of When We Are Death.
The unagitated and unobtrusive mood of All Tree demands several runs before the listener discovers the highlights and ear-catcher. Ancient Astronaut and Wilderness Spirit are such ones, with long-time effect. When We Are Death was surely weak record but All Tree much stronger displays the uniqueness of HEXVESSEL. Here, dreamlike, mostly melancholically draped melodies dominate, added by the impressing singing of Matt McNerney and a very relaxed atmosphere.
In this context, did I read/heard something about a The Doors cover band? Absolutely bullshit!
All Tree is surely more puristic and less occult as the band’s early releases Dawnbearer and No Hollier Temple. But a gem such as the final Closing Circles could have been found on those records too.
“Fare thee well, for we won‘t meet again” – what a text line to close an album with! Give All Tree a chance to grow and to develop and you will love it. It is unique and just fair and beautiful!