Last month neofolk music project Of The Wand And The Moon dropped a new album titled "Love Can't Hold This Wreath Of Sorrow". I've been a fan of this group for a few years ever since I stumbled across their song "Lucifer" on TikTok. Their music holds so much emotion and is so powerful and just absolutely beautiful. This album is no exception.
Right off the bat with "Whispers of the Past" we get a song with a gorgeous melody, a very rich layered sound, and some almost hypnotic energy. It then flows seamlessly into the title track "Your Love Can't Hold This Wreath Of Sorrow" which is laden with orchestral instruments and haunting vocals. I absolutely love it and how the lyrics almost rhyme. It's amazing and has such a melancholy feel.
After that we get a much more upbeat tune "Let's Take a Ride (My Love)". It's a very bass and tambourine driven tune, which I really like. It also has a wonderful trumpet solo. The song is no less dark and depressing though, which seem like it might be a theme for the entire album. But sorrow is always a great motivator for creativity and is such a good tool for healing.
"Falling From View" took a very unexpected twist. It was very soft and symphonic then quickly devolves into discordant chaos with ominous chanting of the word "falling". I definitely did not see that coming at all, and it's rather disconcerting. I enjoyed it nonetheless.
There's just so many cool elements to this album. The radio commercial intro to "Love Is Made Of Dreams", the French lyrics in "Les Journees...", the epicness of "Williamsburg Bridge". This whole album is just wonderful and something very special. It's so packed full of unique and experimental sounds, but has that folk sound I love. This is a perfect album for doing some ritual work. I highly recommend checking it out. It's so good. ~Gangis
Image credit: Album cover for "Your Love Can't Hold This Wreath of Sorrow" by Of The Wand And The Moon.