This album came out two decades ago. Here’s what I had to say about it back then (with some minor editing):
On their albums, these wonderfully weird Welsh eccentrics have tackled everything from proggy orch-pop to neo-psychedelia to silly-ass pop — hey, how else could you describe a song called Poodle Rockin’? But on this eight-track EP, they let their kinder, gentler, folksier sides out to play.
The homespun 23-minute Blue Trees contains breezy instrumentals, delicate, medieval-sounding ballads, some buzzy atmospherics and even a few strummy, snappy shots of Belle and Sebastian-style folk-pop (Fresher Than the Sweetness in Water, Face Like Summer). With a vibe that flows from moody and broody to easy and breezy, Blue Trees is a relaxing and refreshing change of pace — even from a band as unpredictable as these folk.
