Paws for Thought

Not to be confused with some American groups of the same name, this is a very obscure UK album of simple unpretentious progressive British folk. This particular Aslan hails from Leicestershire, England and consists of three girls and three guys. Their fragile vocals, acoustic guitars, autoharp, flute, recorder, glockenspiel and percussion all work together to create a sincere beauty and charm. The music sometimes reflects the style of old-time traditional English folk, even on their self-composed songs. They are also in some ways reminiscent of Parchment?s best moments, minus the electric components, resulting in a warm acoustic sound. Good renditions of titles by Graham Kendrick (?Moving On?, ?Sweet Fire?) and Parchment (?Better Than Yesterday?). ?Beauty? is a poem of the beauty of God and His creation recited over acoustic guitar. Other covers include ?University Song (Kick The Cat)?, ?Love Song? (the one popularized by Elton John), the traditional ?The King? (which has also been covered by Steeleye Span) and ?I Am The Resurrection?. Also some excellent originals, including ?Follow Me?, ?Lady Jane Grey? and the playful ?Witch?s Hat? (nice tandem harmonies). A very pricey item now on a highly collected label (Ken Scott - Archivist)