Basket of Light

Listenable but ultimately not folky enough?

I was first introduced to this band by CMAT. If I give this 5 stars do you think she will notice me?

Nicer than I expected from the album cover! I'll remember the artist.

What is this?? Folky, jazzy, jams. I'm digging this. Sounds like Ravi Shankar is riding the snake. I love the acoustic instruments. It's far out, man. This kind of sounds like they were in a cult. A hippy cult. I'm in! This is a 4.

This was an interesting hippie type album. A lot of musical skill,.good harmonies and a strangely medieval feel to it. Hippie music with some interesting time signature stuff going on at times.

This was different. British psychedelic folk? Seems so pastiche and niche but whatever.

Twee

I've noted the bias this project has for unknown British bands. I can only assume the author of the 1001 Book liked these guys when he was a wee lil' lad. They're good, but they don't belong in the book. I would rate the 5 out of 10 (decent), but since they don't belong in the book, I'm rounding down.

1.5

Well that was a trip.

A little too renaissance faire for me

It’s like the Beatles, after they went to India, but they returned to 16th century England. And maybe met Jesus on the way.

Not a fan of this churchy hippie music

On mukavaa menoa, kyllä näitä hippi aikojen kansanmusiikkeja kuuntelee mieluusti.

Ugh

I have no idea why ren faire hippy dippy shit with sitars is absolutely my jam, but ima let it ride.

Interesting. A 3 perhaps? At most. Might only be a 2. A one

Good but nothing great.

If English psychedelic folk was my thing, I would probably give this five stars. But it's not my thing so I'm only giving it three stars, in recognition of their talent.

0.4

A pleasant, nostalgic visit back. Like today, the world was in turmoil. Unlike today, musicians knew how to represent it.

I did not enjoy a moment of listening to this. The vocalists, both male and female, sounded like they were trying way too hard to sound ancient and folksy and whimsical, and it just doesn’t work at all.

Light Flight

Wasn't sure what to expect but this was all over the place! Jazzy medieval hippy cottage core vibes.

Once you've heard one you've heard them all. But that 'one' wasn't awful. Won't listen again.

Little gem of a folk album. The album could get repetitive in sound and even in tracks (Sally Go Round the Roses x3), but the songs I liked, I liked (Lyke-Wake Dirge, Hunting Song, Once I Had a Sweetheart). I'll be taking a few of these songs to make a winter tavern playlist.

I thought it was Irish but I guess everything is British. Scratched a folk itch and felt really good to listen to while driving by horse farms on the way to work.

It's definitely not an album I would go out of my way to listen to in the first place. I'm not big on folk in general, but having some variety outside rock keeps the list interesting. I thought the vocals were fine and the instruments stood out more to me (in a positive way). Despite my willingness to listen to a variety of genres on this list, there is a spiteful side of me that wants to give the album a 1. Mostly for br*tish people praising br*tish people for being br*tish, and including a traditional folk album like this on the list. Like, it's note worthy legacy on wikipedia was that it had some top tracks in the UK. Nice try br*tish people, I caught on. But, I did not hate this as much as Spacemen 3. If I were being objective about rating it as a folk album I'd give it a 3 for being decent. which averages out to a 2 for my contribution to br*tish hate this week.

unremarkable vocal performances and lyricism. gorgeous instrumentation with a variety of influences (although those american southern folk influences should render this album cultural appropriation... bastards). too fucking bri'ish. 6.5/10

I had little to no hopes for this one when it first came up. After yesterday's disappointment of an album, another british folk band was primed to be the end of me and my stupid life. Then I started listening to it and found myself actually digging it quite a bit. Many of the songs I didn't want to end quite yet. There were other songs that pissed me off as soon as they started, but after about a minute I'd understand. I never should've doubted Pentangle. Pentangle knows best. This album will have me frolicking about the towne and having a good time.

Even with a couple of misses, this one still really managed to catch my ear. I think this would be a 5/5 soundtrack to some folksy medieval indie movie. As an album I got a little bit lost with a few of the songs and I think they showed their age. 3.5-4

Overall, this is not for me, although I did enjoy the instrumentation. It sounds like what 'This Is Spinal Tap' was making fun of with "Listen to the Flower People."

The woman singing reminds me of the Yoko Ono clip with Chuck Berry and the man singing is like Morrissey singing but in lowercase. Absolute cacophony of sounds that just do not make anything pleasing or worth revisiting. Album #3 that I refuse to believe provided any real influence.

You cannot find me a more discouraging feeling than listening to this for 25 minutes and then finding out that you’ve been on shuffle and having to start over.

Did I enjoy this one? Ehh, not really. But I do think this has a rightful place on this list. There are lots of interesting and experimental sounds in play: masterful acoustic guitar, ye olde folk vocals, sitar on jazz songs. I don’t love the stew that these ingredients made, but I’m glad I tried a bite.

I kept veering between giggling, and getting properly into the music. Verily, 'twas most confounding. I've decided to go uncynical, and rate it for the music. If they want to sing about the woes that can befall a fair maid at the hands of ye eville powers (generally, men who be false) good on them. The guitar playing and rhythm section are fabulous. An accomplished folk album, forsooth.

Musically I liked it. But too much of the lost love anguish but extra star for giving me a laugh.

Great psychedelic rock album. It had everything that something close to a psychedelic experience should have.

Music for ren faire weirdos! I found it delightful, but then, I'm a ren faire weirdo.

I didn’t think 60s Folk Rock was for me … I was right.

Great mix of a crystal clear lead vocal and an elevated folk band.

Half of the songs on this thing felt like a cheap anglicised knockoff version of The Girl From Ipanema, and the other half felt like the fucking main menu music of Baldurs Gate 3. Either way this was boring as fuck, uninspired, and the song order was just a mess. This thing is also way too long. It felt like it went for 2 hours. This is a shit album and I'd rather just go listen to Stan Getz than this shit.

Great 8/10

If this didn't have vocals this would have been perfect to put on in the background of one of my DnD/Pathfinder sessions. A good blend of pop, folk and the kind of music you might hear in a medieval tavern. I thought this would wear thin but I really quite enjoyed this. Highlights: Light Flight, Lyke-Wake Dirge, Sally Go 'Round the Roses

There's some genuine beauty here. The arrangements are really elegant and pleasant to listen to. The original songs are more interesting, but also wildly uneven. "Train Song" is an absolute standout; "Hunting Song" is more of a dirge than the actual dirge two tracks before it. I am glad I listened to it, but I don't think I will go back to it, outside of "Train Song"

3.4

It's something I wouldn't mind listening to when I'm busy doing things like drawing , reading , etc. But to focus on it would get quite boring to me personally. The opening track got me thinking I'd grow to like it but overall not quite successful in being my favourite. Both vocalists sounded good , that I can say.

I couldn’t get into this one. Too folksy for my liking

Typical British 60’s Folk Rock. Pretentious & boring.

Folky? Lots of Eastern influence, good fun

Every track is interesting on its own, but when compiled as an album, they become quite boring and lack progression. Mungkin karena gue dengerinnya ga terlalu fokus dan di jam kerja jadi bikin ngantuk banget. Maybe if I listened to it on a random Sunday while unwinding, it would be a beautiful listening moment.

Booooo. Weird.

Sehr atmosphärische Folk-Rock Musik aus den 60ern. Tolle Stimme, gute Musik. 5/5

Not for me

I like it, nostalgia for me

I really struggled with this one. In some ways I loved it, but I also really hated it, and I hated it even more that this is rated higher than The Incredible String Band on this site. With The Incredible String Band I could hear its influence and creativity, but this just was weird British folk? Everyone's voices were generally grating too. I just kept thinking, "you could go to any Lutheran church and find more enjoyable vocals than this." The songs were also very unnecessarily long. I enjoyed "Lyke-Wake Dirg" and "Sally Go 'Round The Roses," and I also liked bizarreness of "Train Song." Maybe I'm being too harsh to this because I compare a lot of these unnecessary folk album inclusions to The Incredible String Band, and they all seem to fall flat in comparison. On it's own, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I'm giving it 3 stars, but on any other day it could go as low as 1 or as high as 4 depending on my mood.

It’s folky, it’s soothing, reminds me of fantasy and that’s a huge comfort zone for me. Loved it

10/30/25. Awesome discovery with this one, loved the fusion of folk and jazz here, done very well through each song. Will be a lesser-known, new favorite of mine for a long time.

come on folk!!

Couldn’t do it. Female vocals

This proto-"Wicker Man" soundtrack sounds pretty neat. Jokes aside, I suprisingly enjoyed this, even though I'm not really a connoisseur of English folk. But something about this appealed to me, maybe it was the light hints at psychedelia, I don't know. And the prominent double bass was pretty cool too.

Good folk album with a couple of catchy highlights. It does get bogged down in the middle with songs that are relatively indistinguishable from each other.

Definitely not my jam.

Man I bet nothing bad ever happened in the 60's. Super fun. Stoned Kate Bush vibes.

Gorgeous virtuosic album. I really didn't like it.

There is something rather Medieval about the tonality of this album. I like me some good 13th c. rock and roll. The sitar and clawhammer banjo on House Carpenter!!

Not a huge fan of this genre of folk music

When I saw that this is a baroque/folk-rock album I was psyched. I'm a big fan of more traditional folk music. Some of the songs on the album are giving renaissance faire, while others feel more folky. I like both. The orchestration is cool and there are some really interesting time signature changes and irregular meters. The vocals fit the music well and there are some sweet harmonies when they sing together. I appreciate this album more because it is quite different from everything else we have listened to so far. It's really in its own lane. 7/10.

Sally go round the roses was alright. Otherwise hard pass for this entire album for me. Boring and annoying if you ask me. I hope it’s not the last album I listen to before I die.

I thought this was a pretty chill album. I liked the Gaelic vibes

Sounded straight out of the middle ages, could have convinced me this was released in 1403. I honestly didn't mind it, thought it was pretty good! I thought her voice fit the vibe they were going for quite well, although a lot of people on here would disagree with me. I thought some of the guitar and drum work was pretty cool as well. Bonus points for the trippy ass cover, honestly one of the coolest album covers on the list thus far! 6.5/10

Good music, very melodic

1.5

60s British Celtic pop

Начало понравилось больше, но в целом - приятная запись.

no

I like some of the folkier songs. Too much of it felt like a score for a Robin Hood play. The ‘christ receive our souls’ shit can kick rocks.

Distinctive sound - evoking that folksy part of the late 1960s early 70s … loved it as I was around then, not sure how it will be received by younger folk!

I’m kind of a dork, so I would think that I would like this kind of thing, but it’s unbearable.

I feel like folk rock is either hit or miss. I’ve heard some great folk albums on this list and I’ve heard some fucking terrible ones. This one falls somewhere in the middle for me. I’m not a fan of it in its entirety but I enjoy her voice enough to give it more than 1 star.

Argh. Sometimes it’s a 5/5. Sometimes it’s a 1/5. I’ll give it a three, but this isn’t a middle-of-the-road album. 3/5

De esa época solo me acuerdo de Lorena mckennit creo que así se llamaba.

Unfortunately I don't take drugs (I even drink my Coke decaf), so couldn't appreciate this album the way it deserves to be appreciated.

Soundtrack to a Renaissance Faire? Why is this on the list?

Pretty unique but won’t revisit

No me ha gustado nada.

Truly a different sounding album. It's by no means flawless, but the medieval feel is more than enjoyable. One can see it's influence on bands like Jethro Tull

Not shrill, just not the best.

The first time I listened to this one I wasn't in the right mood for it at all, second time I really enjoyed it! Genuinely sounds like medieval music in places, but tastefully updated for the times. At times I felt like I was meant to be dancing around a May pole. Some excellent guitar playing all over this, and nice flourishes of othe instruments. I thought the sitar was maybe a bit too much, but I can forgive that given the year it was released. The singing gets a bit too warbly in places, but overall I enjoyed it. 8/10

I was familiar with Sally Go Round the Roses likely from a television show. This album is not offensive, but didn’t hold my attention. I would reach for others before coming back. 2/5

Could not listen to more than 5 songs. The voice is really annoying.

don’t love the more medieval songs, but some songs are really beautiful!

The first song started and I was digging that cool Jazz then the singer started and I was kind of disappointed. It took two tries for us to get all the way through and my girlfriend hated it every single second.

Very fun and folky

Blind album and artist. Definitely a cool folksy acoustic album that I am glad I tried. I thought mixing was very well done.

Eh. Honestly didn’t finish the album. Got bored with it.

All this English folk makes it feel like I’m living in a Wes Anderson movie

Ok folk. Is it in Dorian scale? It’s quite good. I like it. It has the brightness, but the melody isn’t too catchy. Between 3-4 for me. I’m feeling very generous recently so I’ll give it a four.

this wasn't anything major for me... it had some pretty moments, but nothing that really stuck out. not terrible, but nothing i would really go back to

I really like the folk-rock style. I felt this album was creative and I enjoyed listening to it, but there wasn’t anything in it that blew me away.

The more baroque-style sound was just not doing it for me. But the folk/bluegrass and more modern sounding music was really good. Sounds like a three to me.

A little too folky for my folk taste.

Sounded like a medieval Irish folk-fest. Not horrible, but it gets old really fast.

Interesting mix of folk, psychedelic, hymnal, and medieval music. Probably not an album I’d listen to again, but very intriguing to listen to. Pretty vocals and great backing tracks.

The local Renaissance Festival just ended for the season and I already miss it. Then I get this album and am filled with good memories. Lovely songs here and very talented some of these songs sound impossible to play

eh, not bad, not my thing

I’m digging this, felt like I was at the Ren fair

I feel like I should be running through a enchanted forest in The Witcher or something

More nice Ren Faire, listen-to-this-by-a-pond music. Prob pretty influential... it's really nice! Just one note: drop the 'The'... hold on........

i had no idea the goat Bert Jansch was in a band!! and the band was awesome!! what the hell

Right away I’m wondering if they influenced Radiohead in any way. Musically at least. Vocally it sounds like Nico from her tenure with the Velvet Underground. That’s not a good thing. Ok, the Radiohead thing died with the ending of Light flight. Musically I can get behind this but man, the vocals are terrible. Like Nico and Joni Mitchell terrible. Yep, that’s all I have to say. Choice cut: Train Song

this is my first time actually listening to folk music. makes me feel like I'm inside a medieval video game. recording quality makes it way very past their time at that time of age and equipment.

Not for me. 1/5

2-3

I can appreciate the musicianship and their love for their craft. 3/5

So self serious

The music as such is not bad. But I simply don't like this kind of singing of old medieval tunes. Not my stuff. But a 3 for good musicians.

Pleasant. ★★★

I liked it. Very folk

Medieval folky sound, not really my thing

It sounds pretty bad. Hard to consider this is folk, because the lady sounds like an opera singer most of the time. At the very least, they have very nice voices, but I wouldn’t willingly throw this on for anyone

130626 12:40 4

Good, a tiny bit repetitive, but a nice take on folk for sure!

English folk from 69.

Not for me

This was sweet. Have been missing something like this from the list (yeah yeah Fleet Foxes whatever). Fave Tracks: Light Flight, Train Song 4/5

Renfest Core

I usually like folk music so I was surprised that I am not crazy about this record. The guitar playing is impressive. The bass playing is also impressive. What drives me nuts about this is the "folk" singing that the lead singer here is doing, reminds me of Joan Baez and her voice makes me want to crawl up a wall. Why? Idk. I won't return to this record but am I better from having listened to it? Idk.

5/10

Well, this 60s psychedelia just doesn't click with me at all. If it weren't for the pleasant female voice and the occasionally interesting guitar parts, it would be just awful. When the guitarist starts singing, or rather, bleating, it makes you want to turn it off, honest to God. 2 out of 5, largely thanks to the female vocals.

No clue what to expect from this album going off the cover. Looks like something orchestral, though this list hasn't been one to promote classical albums. Probably something Rock Opera adjacent, if I'm to guess. Ah, folk. I shoulda known. This isn't bad. Very Nordic and Aryan or something of that nature. Folk is one of the many genres that I have a hard time getting into. That being said, I can tell this is a solid rep. The guitarwork and vocals are varied and commendable, and there appears to be an interesting spread of influences. That being said, none of these songs hold my attention for their full runtimes. I'm just not a fan of this genre, what can I say? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ "Light Flight" is a good opener. I like the acoustic sound, and the folky vocals ain't half-bad either. "Train Song" also has a good instrumental and some nice vocals. "Sally Go Round the Roses" is yet another decent tune. Take a guess as to why. Book time. Oh, Bert Jansch is on this thing. Cool to see him again - I can definitely hear his sound now. The band's most successful album. Had a successful single. I'm favourable to this album being on the list. I think it's a good slice of folk, so I shant squabble over the minutiae of how influential or successful it is.

Guitars were great. Would be much improved with no horrendous singing

Her voice. I can't.

Not to my taste.

I love a good dirge but can't say this one will be in my regular rotation. Some of the songs were really lovely. Got repetitive over time.

This made me feel like I should be wearing chainmail and foraging in the woods. The Cuckoo was one I really liked and generally speaking I enjoyed listening, but not one I'd come back to probably.

Solid folk. Great lilting vocals from the female vocalist. Enjoyable album but not compelling in a way that really sucked me in. Might revisit, might not. Unremarkable 3/5.

If I heard this before Liege and Lief I'd like it more, but it doesn't stand as tall next to that album. Decent folk sound. The high strings were sometimes grating.

This was lovely! Not what I expected based on the title and artist name. Reminded me a lot of Fairport Convention with different instrumentation. Minus points for having Sally Go Round the Roses on there THREE TIMES

8,2/10

Psychedelic Renaissance Faire Folk is apparently a sub genre that I didn’t know existed. I wish I still didn’t. Feels like Peter, Paul, and Mary were transported back in time and had to perform for King Arthur’s court.

Not my bag. Maybe it's just not what I'm looking for right now in my life, it was just a bit too hokey-folky for me right now.

Lots of very nice sounds and beautiful singing. Bert Jansch is a pretty sopectacular guitarist. I’m not sure why this doesn’t quite hit the spot for me. It’s obviously very good. 3.5/5.0 Best Song: Sally Go Round The Roses

Its fucking good stuff ennit, Bert Jansch is the GOAT.

Someone tried to get me into these guys a couple decades back, and the result now is the same. Folk that I can leave in the 60s.

answers the question: what if stereolab lived in medieval times?

Got into this more than I thought but after a few songs I kinda lost interest. Nice soundscapes and whimsy but yeah it' meh

I enjoyed this folksy 70's ride!

Decent folk album. Started not good and picked up from there 3/5

I love Bert but this is not it

Too ancient

C’était quoi déjà? La musique de taverne medievale ou le country nul à chier? Ok, c’est la taverne, ça passe

Pentangle actually stopped Houmous & Chutneys attempt to make the longest successive and linked album collection in history. Angle, Biangle, Triangle, Quadangle, Pentangle and Hexangle all got released before the message from their lawyers arrived. 2.1 3/13 Springtime Promises

What in the Ren Fair was this? Sounds like the soundtrack to a 60s love cult.

Cool and original!

"Hymns" or "Dirges" or some shit

Different but quute repetitive. Not in a rush to hear it again.

Great musicianship but not really one that’ll be on repeat for me.

I mean it wasn't all that unpleasant to listen to but it sure was weird. Felt like I was in an enchanted forest being serenaded by wood nymphs.

Hm didn't hate this. I don't think I'd listen to it again but I was expecting something very different from the reviews.

First unknown on the list; promising.

This could be touchy. But I must diffuse it immediately. I actually really LOVE some folk music. This is not being a genre snob. I did not love this. It is "OK." but there was nothing in particular that caught me. I don't think it is a case of oversaturation, as it is unique enough. Maybe, for me, nothing particularly stood out. Even that it sometimes felt pseudo-religious did not bother me. Maybe, just maybe, it simply just isn't my vibe. And sometimes we have to be OK with that.

Look, I love weird experimental music. But this is weird and annoying, and ultimately just felt completely pointless. I was rather pleased about the fact that after it ended I don't have to listen to this again.

I don’t hate this but I cannot be arsed with any more than 4 songs 1.5 rounded up

Cover 6 If you hate hippie stuff, you'll probably want to pass. However, I kept an open mind. Not a huge fan of 60s 70s folk, but I don't hate it, necessarily. This was a good listen. They cared about musicianship and not just lyrics. There no, or little, political grandstanding, if that matters to you. I did actually like some songs: Train Song and Hunting Song.

Interesting in some ways, dull in others

Couldn't wait for it to end

I've heard the musicians of Pentangle in various other projects, but this will be my first time with their own work - I understand that it's part of the peak of British folk. ----- Deft and tuneful! Worth the hype, and perfect for autumn listening. Great production - bass sounds big and clear! Favourite tracks: Light Flight, Lyke-Wake Dirge, Hunting Song, House Carpenter (love it in any version, this one is superb)

I guess as I approach 51 that I'm finally embracing my old English ancestry. I really enjoyed this. 3.4 / 5 stars (almost a 4 star, but just not as good as The Fairport Convention).

Loved the folk vides and the dirge. Not quite up to five stars for me, but darn close.

None more folk album. The vocals almost border on affectation and parody but the talent of all the members is too strong to deny. Though you have to be open minded enough to want to put on a knitted sweater and drink some scrumpy, it's worth it for when Bert Jansch or John Renbourn rip on guitar. Best Tracks: Springtime Promises; Hunting Song; Sally Go Round The Roses

60s psychedelic with a little bit of Vashti vocals. I like some of the instrumentals but overall probably wouldn’t seek this out.

Not exactly sure what to think of this it kinda washed over me. But is was a nice time.

Let’s say I did listen to it because I only heard two songs and then turned it off.

Between the vocals and the instrumentals this is absolutely incredible. The only way I can describe it is as a rilliant dance between the two each having thier own moments to shine. 5-stars easy 3/5

7/10 There were parts of this that I really enjoyed. The musicianship was, as expected, fantastic, and when the parts all span and twisted around each other, it created this wonderful, constantly moving soundscape that was really engaging. I particularly enjoyed the use of irregular meters in the opening track, which gave things a really satisfying lilt. Some of the vocal parts I was less keen on. Jacqui McShee does have a tendency to get a little shrill and use wavy little trills that just grate on me a bit. When that’s toned down, her vocals can be lovely, but if she starts getting a bit too high pitched, it does detract from things. Bert Jansch, on the other hand, has this really earthy, unique voice that just blends in with their sound. There was the odd lull through the album, and also a few moments where there were issues with the recording, but by and large, I enjoyed my time listening to this, and I’m sure it’ll get a few more spins. Light Flight - Oooh. Love me a wacky time signature choice, and moving between 6/4 and a bar by bar alternation between 5/4 and 7/4 certainly is wacky. I do really like this. There’s obvious skill in the playing and all the parts just move and roll around each other really nicely. The secondary vocal is perhaps the weakest part for me. It’s a little on the shrill side, but it doesn’t detract too much from how good the rest of it is. Once I Had a Sweetheart - I’m a bit less convinced by this one. It’s more stripped back and the vocal does too much of the wobbly trill things that don’t do it for me. When it gets busier and louder it sounds like the tape is being overdriven too, so it gets a bit distorted and loses clarity. It just didn’t really engage me, to be honest. Springtime Promises - This returns to the parts dancing around each other in a far more satisfactory way. This a nice lilting movement to the track and some really solid guitar work in particular. I also like Bert Jansch’s voice. It’s quite unique but tonally works so well for this type of music. Lyke-Wake Dirge - This is very pretty. It’s obviously funereal and feels like a nice blend of pagan and christian traditions. The vocal parts are all lovely and it is very evocative. Train Song - Quite a jazzy number, with an edge of blues to it. It’s got a really nice pace to it and when that drops away there’s a cool swagger to the groove. There are some really tasty progressions in there too. Particularly in the second half, there’s some truly excellent playing too, with a fiery and dextrous dynamic. Hunting Song - A woodsy, folksy song that sounds quite trad. It slowly builds as it goes, with the extra percussion that comes in half way through adding an injection of pace and movement. The two guitar parts complement each other so well and there’s barely a break for breath at any point. The alternating vocals give it an interesting tonal shift through different sections. Sally Go Round the Roses - We’ve pretty much landed on a folk rock song here. Its shuffling rhythms, provided by the various parts all at once add a really good drive and swing to things. The bass is particularly good. It’s definitely more straightforward, but it’s also really decent. The Cuckoo - Another nice song. Again, I do find the vocals to be a little on the shrill side for me. The slow lilt that the bass lends to the always moving guitars strikes a nice balance. It doesn’t offer too much in terms of development through its duration, but it’s not bad. House Carpenter - Something about the use of the sitar just doesn’t quite gel with me. Probably a personal thing. But I also think there’s just a bit too much of a focus on the high-end for this song and it lacks a bit of weight. As usual, quality playing, but it doesn’t quite connect with me in the same way that other tracks have.

3.5⭐️/5 [08.27.2026] 01.17.2026

It starts off interesting but quickly becomes so boring. They really didn't explore the full potential of their sound. Some songs do show something special, but they are few and far between.

Fuck, what a mixed bag. I actually really like the instrumentation here...but I just can't stand the vocals. I know they're genuine, but they sound to me like Maya Rudolph or Kristen Wiig is trying to perform the most annoying song in the world. Had to stop halfway through to save my sanity. Sticking to my rule that anything I can't force myself to get through gets a 1, even though I might rate an instrumental version of this as a 4. 1.4

First album I stumbled upon after finding this awesome site – and honestly, not my thing at all. Way too much sing-song, way too much random tinkling, and seriously… why do the lyrics sound like they were written by a German third grader doing their English homework? Anyway, let’s just chalk it up as “contemporary” and “very 60s,” and look forward to what else is out there. Oh, and when this album dropped, my parents were two years old. Wild.

Good background music. Just couldn't get into this album and I really tried.

Very suprised by this one, listened to it while falling asleep and it was perfect super interesting and yet calming

In my library and I really like it.

kind of un memorable

os avós do Renaissance. 2 estrelas

At first I thought what is this pastoral ass album; then reading Bert Jansch was involved piqued my interest for a second, but ended up thinking what is this pastoral ass album.

This was delightful and sounded timeless. Lovely tunes and voices and vibe.

This one hits a soft spot for me with the vaguely medieval-sounding folk rock. It's very enjoyable (indeed I had already liked several songs on Spotify) with its acoustic melodies and plucky sitar. It's definitely not my favorite of this sort of folk rock subgenre, but I probably would have given it 5 stars if I were listening in November. Favorite tracks: "Light Flight," "Train Song," "Hunting Song"

I went in crossbows blazing ready to hate on some annoying ren-faire bullshit, but it gradually won me over with the gentle power of the interlinked acoustic guitar parts, sitar drones, and surprisingly intricate percussion. It's basically acoustic prog. The vocals - where the bulk of the dragons and maidens larping folk stuff is dominant - are very annoying, but the instrumental sections are warm and relaxed and lively. You can imagine these songs being really great performed in the right environment like an grand old cathedral or an abandoned abbey. It's not fair to judge them based on the 2025 stench of real ale that it gives off, though. It's cool that there was a scene around revisiting and enliving musical traditions going back centuries and pairing them with blues based guitar playing, and this is a nice document of that that moment that pairs well with folk horror from the era like Wicker Man, Blood on Satan's Claw and Witchfinder General. Favorites: Train Song, Once I had a Sweetheart

# Album Name: Basket of light # Artist: Pentangle # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Not bad. Quite mellow. Some good finger plucking. Very folksy # Top Tunes: Once I had a sweetheart / train song / sally # Would I listen to it again? probably

Enjoyed this

Delightful. Fun rhythm and timbre stuff going on. A little too folky.

I've always enjoyed the 1960s renaissance revival.

Great 60s folk

2.5

A really good album.

Pretty decent English folk album. The tracks with Jacqui McShee's vocals were more enchanting than the others. They're no Steeleye Span, though.

Quite a fun one, kinda ethereal and grounded

ye olde tavern getting crunk tell the bard to turn that shyt up

I was not familiar with this album. Quintensential 60's sound. There is a good deal of sitar which creates the vibe. Interesting listen.

Another new listen. The Pentangle is a 60's version of Edward Sharpe & The Magnificent Zeros. I'm much rather listen to ES&TMZ!

“Olden times-ah music” (4/10, 2/5 on this scale)

Even in the time of '69's peace, love, and harmony, I feel like these folks would have booed off the Woodstock stage.

Straight up hippie shiznit from the year 1969

The very first album on my list. This mixture of folk, jazz and pop was unlike anything I've ever heared before. Not all songs were that great and/or stuck in my head, but overall, this was a very interesting piece of music that I will certainly listen to again. 4/5

Meh

I do not like this.

Would’ve been 4 stars if I was tripping out. Still impressive work.

Fire and fleet and candleleet… Many moons ago, I was having dinner at my ex’s mom’s place. My ex’s mom was really cool. She’d played in a band that used to tour with and open for Sonic Youth. This woman’s record collection was insane. For dinner, I was tasked with putting on some music. Now, I hate playing the dj, because nobody ever likes what I put on, not ever. That fateful dinner, I threw on a random record from a band I’d never heard of before. Turns out, I’d taken a chance on Pentangle’s Basket of Light. By the time the Lyke-Wake Dirge came on, I had the family throwing bread at me asking what the fuck I was doing putting this horseshit on during dinner. I eventually made the right choice and departed from that whole situation. But, it seems that Pentangle have come with me, leaving behind the forgotten back of that woman’s record bin. I still listen to Lyke-Wake Dirge at least once (in secret) whenever I visit the UK. I sometimes think of my footwear as hosen and schoen. I often secretly call obstacles ‘the brig of dread.’ Perhaps it’s my love of medieval folk? Perhaps it’s my love for sixties folk? I don’t know, because I hold Basket of Light in higher regard than those Vashti Bunyan and Fairport Convention albums which I also so revere. (Cruel Sister is even better than this album, if you ask me. So, if you haven’t heard it and liked Basket of Light, check out the follow-up. Also, Alistair Roberts does a great version of Lyke-Wake). I just gave a hyper-beloved, classic, god-status album two stars (sorry Jimi), and I’m about to give this one five because it’s more badass than people tend to say. Disagree with me? Then, the fire will burn thee to the bare bane!

An excellent surprise for me, I thorougly enjoyed this wildly experimental album. It seems like the late 60s and early 70s produced dozens upon dozens of psychedelic folk bands, with very mixed success. The bad ones just threw together a guitar, a few medieval instruments and a sitar, then sung in high-pitched, LSD-altered voices until your ears started bleeding. The good ones... the good ones did exactly the same, actually, but somehow made it work. Pentangle falls into that second category. It’s probably because, contrary to some drug-fueled neo-medieval folk projects (yes, I’m looking at you, Incredible String Bands), the singers can actually sing (beautifully, even) and the musicians can actually play. It makes for a very nice mix of true Celtic folk music and modern experimental rock with a pinch of baroque. I quickly found myself lost in an intriguing musical landscape full of misty groves and unexpected meetings (the sitar / banjo combo in House Carpenter works amazingly well !). It’s not a perfect album, far from it – some experimental parts clearly fall flat. But for me, it’s really the bright side of psychedelic folk. I’ll definitely check the rest of their discography. A strong 3,5* (and a hard choice between a 3 and a 4*... I might still edit my rating later).

Medieval diddling in the 20th century does not make for a timeless album. The few sparse moments of nice instrumentation improves a bit but not by much. 1.5/5 - > 2/5

3.1 2x

It turns out I Iike English folk rock, although these guys aren't as good as Fairport Convention

Never heard of this artist. Interesting right off the bat. At first thought it was the Death Metal band Pentagram. Then reread it and saw it was not. Interesting folky a bit. Cool Stuff.

not for me

When we get to flower children cult music I completely check out. Didn’t like this at all. 1/5

I was pleasantly surprised by this. It’s more folk-tunes™️ than folk, but that’s not a bad thing at all. In actuality, this is what ‘60s flower children really wanted, and like, if I was high on dried out weed, this would hit. It hits when I’m *not* high on dried out weed. Some of it gets a little cheesy and a little too Renn Faire for me, but also, I’m married to a Renn Faire fanatic, so even with that, I’m able to stomach the worst parts of it. I think I just largely appreciate how weird and traditional this is, while still sounding distinctly born out of the ‘60s psychedelia movement. Maybe not the album that will stick with me the longest on this list, but a good thing to be exposed to through this challenge.

Folk Music as its meant to be, as in Ye Olde Folk Tune for Thine Soul... They getting Medieval on your ass here.

I found a couple of tracks entertaining. But overall not my bag. Or basket, such as it is.

I have to hand it to them, these songs sound like ballads from hundreds of years ago remade for the hippie generation. But they are all self made. Beautiful, and sometimes haunting, they improved with multiple listens. Slightly rounding up.

They're good at what they do. It's not bad, but doesn't hook me.

Het album begint wel geinig met een soort prog-folk toestand. Daarna wordt het op een gegeven moment wel heel erg rustig met een soort middeleeuwse sektebijeenkomst en dan voel ik de aanvankelijke interesse ook in rap tempo wegvloeien. Vanaf track 5 had het van mij wel ongeveer afgelopen mogen zijn. Die track 5 ('Train Song') doet me denken aan Joni Mitchell ook en dat moeten we sowieso niet willen natuurlijk. Ik kom echt niet hoger dan 2 sterren, met alle respect voor de muzikaliteit wel. Het is wel geinig voor een keer maar om hier nou heel veel sterren voor te gaan geven is me een stap te ver. De tweede helft was echt uitzitten geblazen.

Mm, not quite. There are a few songs here that aren't that bad, though.

I don't really care. Freaky folky chanting hippie gang sorta stuff. Not painful. Not too exciting. A little "Eastern" sounding. Eh. Inoffensive. Think I'm especially bitter today.

This is exactly the music I’d want to hear while having a light buzz and sitting at Stonehenge surrounded by druids. This is my jam. The vocals are bloody beautiful, like angels singing to acoustic guitar. And the guitar playing is something magical too. Even when you’re not high, this makes you feel high. I quite loved this album when I listened to it today.

*Really interesting - folk rock but make it 1960s and British *Fave track - Sally Go Round the Roses *Would revisit and play in the background RATING - 6.5/10

Det va overraskanes trivelig, æ likte det. Ingenting radikalt nyskapanes, men fine stemmer og ok låter.

Mix Jeferson Airplane and the Mamas and Papas, add a little folk from the old English tradition…. Then you have Pentangle. A nice album, but a bit stuck in time

Not for me

Discount Fairport Convemtion led by Dollar Store Judy Collins, piggybacking on the faux RenFaire fad of the late 60s. Not an original note is struck, nor a single original idea expressed. No wonder I never heard of 'em.

Not exactly my cup of tea

This was a tough listen. Many of the songs felt like church songs or some medieval band. Train Song was the only track that wasn’t completely annoying.

Tickled my ears, was a fun time

Putting "Sally Go Round the Roses" three times in an hour is diabolical. This was so lame

Thank you for turning me on to this :)

The kind of music that makes you miss the Black Death.

Trasig

Great harmony, fantastic atmosphere, classic

I've never heard of Pentangle, but I love their medieval/renaissance folk sound. House Carpenter and I Saw An Angel are my favorites.

A bit dated now. The odd good song but overall wasn’t really my thing..

This is giving 1970s me doing construction paper and Elmer glue crafts at my babysitters while watching Marian the Librarian on PBS and listening to her talk about the dangers of talking to strangers. In other words, it's a vibe. Good musicianship, but I'll probably never visit this again.

Oh it's gothic

The music is a five, the disgustingly sweet singing is a rage inducing 1.

An hour of this was too much. My favorite track was I saw an angel. It was the least reminiscent of catholic hymns and also the last track.

lidt mere interessant end den første vi havde med Fairport Convention, men stadig ikke fuldstændig noget for mig

MEGET britisk, lød okay men mindre min stil end jeg lige havde regnet med faktisk

I could imagine that this would be nice to hear in a castle with some mead or a cider.

Cool british folk/baroque pop with a really good vibe

Huzzah!

I'm surprised to find The Pentangle here, but hey, I'll never complain about having to listen to some 60s baroque folk!

I don't think I can give this a fair review. It's not my bag, and the genre has been taken too lightly by most.

I had never heard of this release, but it was a great listen. It hit at the perfect season (early fall), and reminds me of Donovan and oddly -- Belle and Sebastian? But maybe that's just me. I could definitely see listening to this again.

adri: 7, la musica de la corte, flow medieval. mar: 3, castillos y dragones

Surprisingly good progressive folk. Quite technical and complex. I enjoyed it.

Probably the most boring album on this list so far. I dont have a lot to say about this. 3/10 Favourite: None Least Favourite: The Cuckoo

This genre is a weird one for me. On the one hand there is the Richard and Linda Thompson album which I loved and on the other there is the Incredible String Band which I found laughably bad. This falls somewhere in the middle. I recognise there is some great musicianship on here which I can appreciate but overall it doesn’t do a great deal for me. Not a huge fan of Jacqui McShee’s voice. 3 stars

Pretty good, prefer fairport convention

Liked the double bass and sitar

Nice in

-1 star for vocal style

If patchouli was an album...

Def an album I would’ve never listened to otherwise

60's folk, but slightly different. Lots of sitar on some of the songs. It was okay.

I love the organic sound of this recording. I do dig folk on occasion. I prefer the Fairhope Convention stuff on this list though. But definitely worth another listen. 3/5 #112

Unlistenable

What a fun folk rock album. It's like all the best parts of country music without the annoying accents. After getting albums from artists like Fairport Convention, I've been craving more albums like this from the generator. Gems from a genre I'm unfamiliar with and from a time period where I wouldn't even know where to look for this type of stuff.

They're clearly talented but the overall effect was to make me feel like I was losing my mind

There's enough interesting stuff in the music to keep this from being one star. Replace/remove the vocals and this goes up a star, maybe two.

Renaissance festival music

Sounds like an album that was prepared for the Earl of Livingstone in 1633. Usually like Medieval stuff but this falls flat.

Charming

very interesting. I like their sound, reminds me of the new Dwarf Fortress soundtrack.

Lovely traditional songs, liked them a lot. Other songs were good too, just not as good

lets play the same song thrice just for the fun of it

3.5

Was unique and odd, not sure it was all good but I liked hearing something a bit new.

If I could have given 0 I would. Maybe with the right drugs it would have been amazing.

Not quite sure what to make of this. Apple Music had this labeled as “traditional folk” and this is 100% what i’d imagine it to sound like

#15 Basket of Light ~ Pentangle A very underrated record from a very underrated band I must say. Very pretty sounding and intricate, with an incredibly lush arrangement of sitar, banjos, guitars and percussion. It produces an air of fantasy and comfort that makes you feel very homely. I don't see how you can hate such an album that does that. Something that would be incredibly striking is the changing time signatures. I had to do a double take when the rhythm shifts so often you think this album was written by Stravinsky or a very seasoned jazz bebopist, particularly the use of some very very unusual time signatures of 5/8, 7/8 and 11/8. It's basically the primer of this album. This shift of rhythm to flow with the beautiful vocal phrases of Jansch, McShee and Renbourn make each song feel organic, as if you are right with them by a bonfire as they craft a sing-along for everyone. This is an album that defies labelling. The best label for such an album is just a pure-folk band. But there are a huge amount of things happening that lends your ears to other influences: psychedalia, jazz, blues, perhaps the pop rock of the Beatles even. And it's all the best bits from each world. Verdict: Prog folk?

Want to know why folk jazz never hit it big? It's because it completely ruins both genres. There are some good straight up folk songs on Basket of Light, like The Cuckoo, but most of it is a muddy mess.

Time really flew by listening to this. It’s not perfect at all, but it’s interesting and very much enjoyable. If you’re into late 60’s alternative folk and perhaps Malicorne this will be worth exploring.

Niet voor mij

Not my thing, couldn't get through it.

Interesting mix of musical styles. Fine for a listen.

existe um limite pra tudo, pelo amor de deus

quando falam que eh FOLK eh isso que eu espero música para viver como um camponês fudido esperando a peste negra chegar! pelo menos tem uns instrumentos interessantes né

Bastante bien para mi gusto. Un folk inglés con un toque de jazz. No los conocía y me he guardado Light flight, Train song y Hunting song. Muy años 60.

i have no patience for this today

Pretty good!

o sea estuvo bien la voz d la loca m hace acordar a aurora, definitivamente lo tengo q escuchar mas para acostumbrarme xq se m hicieron un poco pesadas varias canciones. light flight sally go round the roses y i saw an angel temones

Folk me!

Ba ba ba do da da Miles away from my usual rotation but very enjoyable

also just okay. i REALLY liked “lyke-wake dirge”, felt very religiously motivated and reminded me of a solid choral piece. everything else was okay. appreciated the use of lesser known instruments such as the sitar. very folky. 3/5.

This album sucked

Nice, really nice.

It alternated between sounding like church music and like something more annoying than church music

Very folky, very medieval sounding as others have commented. I enjoyed it and can see it's place in history as folk did have a resurgence in the 60s. I don't know how to rate it.

This album was great. Was pleased to learn that Bert Jansch is the guitar player of this band. I really liked his solo album for the same interesting melodies and polyrhythms in Basket of Light. I definitely see myself returning to this record often. 4.25/5

Liked this one quite a bit. I'll be revisiting it. 3.75/5

Loved!!!!