Glimmer and Fold‘s new double piece — “Willow Men / The Battle of the Arcane Arts” is confident, raw, and soaked in the kind of self-awareness that only time away can teach.
“Willow Men” starts like a warm hallucination — soft psychedelic glimmers and falsetto threads intertwining gently until the whole thing starts to levitate. There’s a hypnotic pulse underneath, a beat that refuses to settle, and it makes you feel like you’re half-floating in a dream. Beneath that calm hum lies an unease, a subtle tension that suggests something bigger is brewing. It’s the kind of track that doesn’t rush to impress; it unfolds, like a long exhale after a storm.
Then comes “The Battle of the Arcane Arts“, where the atmosphere thickens and the guitars take command. The tone darkens, heavier but never clumsy — it’s the shadow side of the Willow Men, the inner duel between clarity and chaos. The guitars twist and shimmer like spells being cast midair, and you can almost feel the band slipping into that prog-rock trance, chasing something beyond themselves. It’s trippy, yes, but also deliberate — a testament to how instinct and jam-born moments can hit deeper than any polished structure.
About Glimmer and Fold:
For Glimmer and Fold, this feels like a rekindling rather than a return. Once known as The Taste, they carry the weight of the ‘70s with them — not as nostalgia, but as craftsmanship. Their sound bridges rock’s rawness with a melodic honesty that’s hard to fake. After stepping away for family life, they’re back to making music that’s soulful and unpretentious, the kind that feels handmade. “Willow Men / The Battle of the Arcane Arts” isn’t just a song pair; it’s a quiet statement that the old spark still glows, maybe even brighter now.
Follow Glimmer and Fold: