CROOKED MOUTH - Cosmic Folklore

If it's true that on one hand the neofolk scene has practically lost (for reasons of age) its historic British champions (Death In June, Current 93 and Sol Invictus), it's also true that for some time now that sound has been renewed through new and old contaminations, both of a dark-folk stripe (King Dude chief among them) and of a pastoral bent (with more than a few nods to bands from the early 70's). As is the case with the fairy-tale-like Chimehours, or with this project founded in Canada by Ian Campbell (based in Vilnius, Lithuania since 2022).

From the gorgeous cover art onward, an unmistakable imagery brings to mind the cradle of the most esoteric folk, Great Britain, a place that over the years has given us numerous films with a strong magical-anthropological bent ("The Wicker Man", "Penda's Fen" or the recent "Enys Men"). Crooked Mouth, singing in English, Lithuanian, Belarusian and French, inevitably pass through these frames, sending out a message that is nonetheless universal, pointing with their music toward what lies beyond the celestial vault.

"Cosmic Folklore" is a journey outside of time, rediscovering the traditions of old Europe, a path along which sun, moon, planets, life and death collide through a symbolism as arcane as it is obscure. On that front, there's plenty of meat on the bone: "Andeinė's Gift" and "When The Sun Married The Moon" sound like a heartfelt tribute to Death In June, while the following "Follow The Signs!" shows a tribal, post-industrial-flavored fervor. But the Lithuanian collective also makes room for the voice of nature, revealing both a strong poetic streak ("Kelias Kelelis") and an undercurrent not too far removed from a certain strand of world music ("Jaunas Mėnulis" or the more ethereal "Užteka Saulužė").

Worth a mention is the closing "Pierre De Grenoble", eight minutes that remind us how vitally important names like Malicorne, Sunforest, Stone Angel and many others have been for the band, because the roots of Crooked Mouth (and of neofolk tout court) must in any case be traced much further back, starting with folk music itself.

Through this vertical line that stretches from far back and runs through the Seventies and then the Eighties (Dead Can Dance included), "Cosmic Folklore" stands as the project's richest and most far-reaching album yet, helped along by numerous collaborations (a dozen or so artists appear across the various tracks). Here, then, is the energy of a primordial, uncontaminated world.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

06/04/2026