Fuzzy Lights – Rule of Twelfths

Rule of Twelfths refines an aesthetic nine years and three albums in the making, as Cambridgeshire quintet Fuzzy Lights tweak their pastoral-folk-meets-post-rock style without misplacing its most distinctive qualities. The balance now emphatically favours the ‘folk’ half of their portmanteau sound, with fewer noisy crescendos than debut A Distant Voice or successor Twin Feathers, which laid on drama comparatively thick.

Also shifting the parameters are Rachel Watkins’ delicate vocals, more prevalent and centrally placed this time around. The results of this adjustment are mixed, with her soft timbre working beautifully on bewitching single Summer’s Tide, but sounding listless on tracks like Second Skin – a gossamer lullaby boasting the album’s prettiest string parts, but not enough else. Yet attention-grabbing flashes of inspiration – such as the distorted guitar that enlivens The Hour’s close, or the rapid violin that interrupts Blind’s mantras – ensure that, minor qualms aside, Rule of Twelfths is a beguiling success.