Folk Bitch Trio—Now Would be a Good time

It's funny how a name can evoke an expectation and to a certain degree they hit the nail on the head, and I'm sure they're very nice girls, although I think they could surely tell a tale or two.

The album opens with "God’s a Different Sword", a laid-back, folksy track with simple instrumentation, carried by a beautiful lead vocal and enriched by wonderful harmonies. A great opening and I'm thinking a good indicator for the rest of the album.

As "Hotel TV" opens, it briefly recalls the opening of the Rolling Stones’ "Gimme Shelter". The comparison is fleeting, as the track soon becomes something quite different: an almost mundane narrative, yet one that is hauntingly hypnotic and it gently pulls you in.

There is a familiar quality to "The Actor", one of those tracks I could almost swear I have heard before. That sense comes from the combination of the music and the lyrical flow, but it is the lyrics that truly make the song soar. They set the scene with ease, moving from thinly veiled sexual imagery to something far more explicit in the chorus. It is striking how a single word can be shocking, yet here it feels matter of fact and honest, barely causing you to pause, especially when, like the entire song, it is delivered so beautifully.

The next track, "Moth Song", opens with a simple electric guitar melody, slow and methodical, setting the stage for vocals that are equally deliberate and all the more powerful for it. It's the longest track on the album, yet time slips by unnoticed as you're wrapped in the atmosphere, lost in a pool of thought, until a slow build of angst and emotion threatens, but is gently extinguished, absorbed by the song’s beauty.

A’capella is often derided, yet when it is done right, it has the power to beguile. “I’ll Find A Way (To Carry It All)” carries that quality with ease. While there are a few minor blemishes, they do little to distract or diminish what is otherwise a wonderful song, one that draws its strength from heartfelt delivery and beautifully balanced harmonies.

While I can appreciate both the vocals and the music in “Cathode Ray”, for some reason it never quite grabbed me. There are moments in the vocal performance where I am almost transfixed, yet overall the song simply did not sing to me in the way others do. I have seen this track cited as many people’s introduction to the band, so perhaps it is a matter of how it sits within the album’s flow, or perhaps it's just me.

I knew instantly that the same would not be true of “Foreign Bird”. It is funny how a title can set up expectations and, being from London, mine were very different, only to be well and truly shattered by the opening lines. Ah, the danger of assumptions, with the only ass here being me. There is a simple elegance to the music on this track, and the vocals and harmonies feel wonderfully loose, creating the perfect atmosphere for the story to unfold before gently ramping up toward the song’s close.

The next track, “That’s All She Wrote”, is a study in contradiction throughout. It leans on storytelling rooted in the here and now, only to deliver sharp stings in the tail. The vocals are hauntingly beautiful, lending the song a bittersweet quality, yet as the narrative unfolds the tone begins to shift. The addition of strings introduces a growing sense of angst and foreboding, subtly reshaping the emotional weight of the track, with the lovely use of pizzicato strings to add the final, unsettling layer.

It feels as though the unsettling undercurrent of the previous track has bled into "Sarah" as it begins, though it starts to lift once the song truly gets going, around the forty-five second mark. The lift may be musical rather than emotional, however, as lyrically the weather remains decidedly cloudy.

The album closes with "Mary’s Playing the Harp", which seems to explore the trials and tribulations of a touring musician, but from the perspective of those left behind. It captures the bittersweet tension of wanting someone to be where they need to be, while also feeling their absence. There is no sadness here, only quiet reflection, a gentle contemplation of distance and longing. With its tender melodies and reflective mood, it provides a soothing and thoughtful way to bring the album to a close.

From the opening warmth of "God’s a Different Sword" to the quiet reflection of "Mary’s Playing the Harp", the album is a journey of contrasts, surprises, and gentle wit. Moments of hypnotic narrative, hauntingly beautiful vocals, and delicate harmonies pull the listener in, while flashes of sly humour, playful phrasing, and tongue-in-cheek turns keep the experience lively and human. Even when a track doesn’t fully resonate, the album’s craftsmanship, emotional depth, and occasional clever levity make for a rich, immersive listening experience that lingers long after the final note.