Rediscoveries of Lost Gems- The Trees

The Trees- The Garden of Jane Delawney
[CBS Records International, 1970]

The 1970 debut from this British folk rock band starts out unassumingly enough with the chiming guitars and slow moving bassline of the opening track "Nothing Special" easily drawing comparisons to Sandy Denny and Fotheringay.   In fact, on the surface, most of the songs on the Garden of Jane Delawney sound like traditional folk ballads, but the band's sense of musical timing and dynamics will undoubtedly hold your attention. The first track that blew my mind was the second one on the album entitled "The Great Silkie".  While the beautiful vocal phrasings in the first verse of the song put the listener in a relaxed state of mind, it suddenly turns on a dime with a face-melting guitar solo that completely comes out of nowhere. Other standouts on the record to me are the haunting ballad "The Garden of Jane Delawney," the entrancing, bold and explosive "Lady Margaret," and the playful exuberance of "Glasgerion," that culminates with an ecstatic release of unbridled energy. I remember listening to this a few years ago, and only being into a couple songs, but after further review I have to say that this record has aged like a fine wine. 

Enjoy!