Pentangle – Reflection (Transatlantic 1971)

‘Reflection’ was Pentangle’s fifth studio album, and perhaps their last really good one. The album begins with the catchy little number ‘Wedding Dress’ – sung by the wonderful Jacqui McShee. It’s not a groundbreaking song or anything like that, but it is uplifting. Then comes ‘Omie Wise’. This one is more melancholic, with a good vocal melody sung by Bert Jansch. His rustic sad voice isn’t for everyone, but it is for me. In this song you’ll also hear the magical guitar harmonies by him and John Renbourn. Two absolute legends within the art that’s called acoustic guitar playing. On ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ it’s again time for McShee to shine. It’s simply beautiful stuff. It’s a slow moving song, but features a cool instrumental break in the middle. You can easily just float away while listening to this one. The second side of the album is even more dreamy, not at least because of the slightly epic closing title track. Wonderful stuff that makes you forget about everything and just float away. As a whole, ‘Reflection’ doesn’t match their previous albums, but you shouldn’t care about that, as those are some of the most magical albums that have ever been made in British folk rock. ‘Reflection’ is still a classic, and the avid fan must own it. But start with ‘Basket of Light’ from 1969!