Tom Anderson reviews his first band for Culture Vulture, Arthur Rigby and The Baskervylles and their new single Moonlit Strangers.
Leeds based six-piece chamber pop unit Arthur Rigby & the Baskervylles have been grinding away for the past couple of years on the strength of their fantastic 2012 EP, Tales from Pegasus Wood. From playing festivals up and down the country including Deer Shed Festival and opening the BBC Introducing stage at Reading & Leeds, to supporting the likes of Duke Special and The Miserable Rich, Arthur Rigby & the Baskervylles have been building themselves quite a loyal fan base.
Moonlit Strangers is the first song since the release of “Tales from Pegasus Wood“, and is a first taste of what is to come when their debut LP is released.
The band still sound distinctly British and the elements they’re already known for, namely the tuneful brass instrumentation, gorgeous piano melodies and pitch-perfect harmonies, are all very much intact. The production here is especially strong, with the wonderful orchestration resting just where it should in the mix while the aforementioned vocal harmonies rise to the top in the immediately memorable chorus. Repetition of the very same chorus is used to great effect in the latter half of the song as the instrumentation builds to a satisfying climax.
Arthur Rigby & the Baskervylles have clearly worked hard to get to this point and if this song, (along with that great 2012 EP) is any indication, their debut album could take them to some very high places indeed. I, for one, am excited!
If you like your music to sound British and have a love for lushly orchestrated folk, don’t pass this by.
You can hear and download “Moonlit Strangers” here.
Once you’ve done that, why not check out the bizarre yet beautiful video directed by Joshua Hatfield here.