Heathen Hymns, the new album from folk rockers Galley Beggar, is a rather pretty listen that definitely plays as a great soundtrack to the summer, and it’s an impressive piece that will leave an impression on you.
There’s a great lightness to it all, and the beautiful vocals really add another dimension to the music. They’re almost hypnotic, and paint a beautiful picture as the band progresses from one to the next. Additionally, the string instruments are stunning and give the music a melodic boost – in fact, everything just slots together so well and the flow is great as a result.
From the ambience of opener Salome to the soft tones of Moon And Tide and the soaring energy of closing track My Return which helps the album to go out with a bang (and also features a serious earworm of a riff), Galley Beggar cover a lot of ground whilst simultaneously following one thread from start to finish, which is definitely testament to masterful songwriting.
All in all, a rather nice album with some real high points on it. Galley Beggar have created something rather stunning with this atmospheric collection of songs, and Heathen Hymns is an album that you’ll certainly want to revisit. Nicely done!
9/10
