Fursaxa is a psychedelic folk band from Pennsylvania that is led by Tara Burke. Burke has recorded with a number of different bands as a guest, ranging from the far out experimentalism of Acid Mothers Temple, to peaceful folk groups like Six Organs of Admittance. In 2010, live performances of Fursaxa included Tara Burke as well as Helena Espvall, who I intend to listen to soon, and Mary Lattimore, who I listened to just the other night. Fursaxa has a total of eight studio albums dating back as far as 2000, and as recently as 2016. This album, Alone In the Dark Wood (2007), is Fursaxa’s sixth studio album. I’ve really been digging the modern psychedelia-influenced folk that I’ve been listening to recently, so I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Intro” begins the album with a strange harmony of vocals alongside what sounds to be running water and a squeaky wagon wheel. Super interesting start, and I’m excited to hear more.
Oh wow, “Lunaria Enters the Blue Lodge” has a really massive folksy droning tone in the center of the soundscape, which nearly sounds like a weather siren warning of a big storm. I really dig the multiple layers of vocals at the start of the track as well. Holy smokes, some acoustic guitar gradually fades in, causing the droning tone to fade away. Oh wow, some vocals come back in and have that sort of spiritual connotation to them of someone wandering into a forgotten jungle with ancient ruins hidden in said jungle. Wow, great track.
“Bells of Capistrano” begins with an interesting clattering of what sounds to be a piano or keyboard of some sort, while some whistles and droning tones gradually ebb and flow in and out of the soundscape. The overall sound so far is very experimental in a manner that reminds me a ton of Acid Mothers Temple. Holy smokes, the slide whistle in the background has a sort of ghostly breeze feel, especially as the droning bass tones from a keyboard or accordion become more prominent in the soundscape. Wow, great track.
Holy smokes, “Drinking Wine In Yarrow” has a really interesting raga sort of sound with instrumentation that sounds somewhat dissonant and mixed between normal and reversed effects on the instrumentation. Wow, great track.
“Black Haw” begins with some distant vocals behind the clattering of what sound to be chimes, while droning bass tones gradually enter the soundscape. Oh wow, this almost sounds like part of a score to a movie with a scene about an ancient civilization’s predictions of the future. Wow, I’m really digging this track. Great tune.
“Cle Elum” starts with a really interesting mixture of light, nearly bubbling sounds from what sounds to be some keyboards of some sort, which almost acts as a river washing over you. Oh wow, it almost sounds like there are some lifting organs in the background as well. Super sweet track.
“Alone In the Dark Wood” begins with some really twangy, and somewhat buzzy folksy strings from what sounds to be a dulcimer, and possibly some acoustic guitar as well. I really dig the different layers of vocals that seem to wash in and out of the track. The plucky strings almost give the musical representation of a hastened, rickety wagon that is traveling through an old forest at dusk, and needs to make it to the other side before dark. Oh wow, the plucky strings are replaced by some bigger, deeper bass notes that have a sort of droning quality, while some other strings are gradually plucked into the soundscape. Holy smokes, the vocals come back into the soundscape, and almost sound as though they’re the darkness that’s nearly caught up to the wagon, and if the person driving the wagon looks back at all, they’ll have been caught. Wow, great track.
“Nawne Ye” begins with a peaceful symphony of what sound to be Tara Burke’s voice. Oh wow, the symphony keeps growing and becoming more complex, while continuing on this sort of freak folk/psychedelic folk/experimental folk sound that seems to carry a spiritual connotation. Wow, great track.
“Sheds Her Skin” begins with some very high pitched chords from what sounds to be an acoustic guitar or possibly a mandolin. Oh wow, a symphony of Burke’s vocals gradually wade into the soundscape. Oh wow, Burke’s vocals gradually swirl about the soundscape in a way that walks the uncomfortable line of spirituality. It almost sounds as though phantoms from the dark forest are flying all about you as the song continues. Super sweet tune.
Oh wow, “In the Hollow Mink Shoal” begins with such a delicate feel of different layers of Burke’s vocals, which seem to have lyrics that I can understand for possibly the first time throughout this album. Oh wow, a really driven, folksy acoustic guitar line comes in, and reminds me a bit of a more raga-inflected version of a Brian Jonestown Massacre song, and I’m really digging the result. There are some really mellow bass notes from another stringed folk instrument underneath the acoustic guitar that subtly guide the direction of the song. I really dig this track. Great tune.
“Rattling the Calabash” starts out with a meandering shaker, and soon a repetitive bass note and a hollow drum join in. Oh wow, some high notes of an acoustic guitar join in, and it seems the bass note begins to change as a result. Burkes vocals gradually flow in and out of the soundscape. I’m really digging this track so far; the instrumentation seems to continue in a repetitive and nearly shamanic style. Oh wow, the instrumentation gradually mellows and fades out near the end of the track. Great tune.
“Birds Inspire Epic Bards” begins with a mixture of noises that sounds like different children’s music boxes all playing at the same time. Oh wow, some ghostly whistles gradually ebb and flow within the soundscape. Holy smokes, the music boxes fade away as some vocals enter in the style of Gregorian chants. Wow, great track.
“Of Tubal Cain” starts off with a distorted electric guitar fading in, which has absolutely glued me to the edge of my seat. Different ghostly tones and sounds seem to gradually wash into the soundscape. Oh wow, the repetitive guitar line fades away, and is replaced by an interesting feedback sound from the guitar the gradually flows into the soundscape, which feels very reminiscent of the big droning tone from “Lunaria Enters the Blue Lodge”. I really dig the different, nearly ghost-like effects at the end of this track. Great tune, and a great way to finish this listening experience.
Holy smokes, this was an incredibly interesting listening experience. I can totally imagine Fursaxa/Tara Burke recording with a band as experimental-sounding as Acid Mothers Temple. The music in this album verged on a sort of psychedelic folk shamanism that I really dig. The many different layers and folksy instrumentation presented in such an experimental manner kept me intrigued throughout, and I’m pretty excited to check out more of Fursaxa’s discography. If you’re into experimental artists like Acid Mothers Temple, or you’re into a sort of shamanic psychedelic folk sound, or if you’re intrigued by what either of those two styles might sound like, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A