Mother-of-Pearl Moon by And Also the Trees

 Now that goth music has finally caught back up in popularity with goth fashion, an already deep creative well has started overflowing with interesting art. Unlike a lot of the bands you see in this scene, however, Britain’s And Also the Trees has been making music since the original goth movement in the late 70s, and their mature, atmospheric sound shows us the directions that goth will lead us to when given enough time. Heavily influenced by neofolk, the band’s new record Mother-of-Pearl Moon ditches the drum machines and angular riffing for a much more varied sound, using warm woodwinds and brass alongside deep, rumbling spoken narration to create an environment that points towards ancient folklore. A few moments here and there point back to the party-ready atmosphere of some of goth’s more popular records, but the darkness that And Also the Trees explores here comes more from their environment and their culture than from the sort of self-destruction that we often expect from the genre. Not only that, but several key moments here conjure up feelings of triumph, replacing self-destruction with a more wholesome absorption into a surrounding spirit that, although frequently dark and mysterious, can still nurture and care for us.