Two Wings – Love's Spring

Too often, ‘folk’ is used as a rigid template to which musicians adhere far too strictly, rehashing the past rather than creating something new. This is a criticism that cannot be levelled at Glasgow’s Two Wings. The first thing you hear on their debut is singer Hanna Tuulikki’s unique, expressive voice: part elfin, ethereal siren, part dusky lounge singer. It's swiftly followed by Ben Reynolds’ galloping bluesy electric guitar, and as opening track Eikon reaches its crescendo, it does so in a flood of triumphant brass, deft drums, and soaring vocals.

Though Love's Spring is peppered with the traditions of folk, its songs are cross-pollinated with elements of country, classic rock, psychedelia and soul to create singular arrangements. But it’s the album ’s boldest – often brassiest – tracks (Eikon; Just Like; Forbidden Sublime) that leave the most indelible impression, where Two Wings sound at their most untethered. A brave, curious debut – and it’s not often that can be said of a contemporary folk record.