LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Female London-based duo Smoke Fairies are releasing Ghosts, a vinyl album compiling their first two singles and an EP, being issued by 453 Music."

Their unique interweaving of ethereal vocal harmonizing and swampland guitars draws inspiration from sources as seemingly contradictory as the rolling hills of the pair's native Sussex and the foothills of the Appalachian mountains; the smoky jazz cafes of New Orleans to the sunny meadows of the English countryside... try to pigeonhole the Smoke Fairies? You might as well try to capture a storm in a whisky bottle."

This music wells up from deep in their souls, sometimes dark, sometimes delicate and unmistakably shaped by a distinctly British sensibilities and filled with a delicious tension -- at once warm and haunting; soothing and unsettling. Following in the footsteps of artists like the Velvet Underground, Led Zeppelin (on their respective third albums), and Jefferson Airplane they've overhauled their musical roots and brought something new to the world. ''Frozen Heart,'' for instance, is a paean to love whose influences span five decades and all manner of traditional genres, putting all those the pieces together in a strikingly fresh and original way."

Now with four very collectible singles under their belts, (including a one-off on Jack White's label Third Man Records) they are established in the UK, and are selling out their own shows in the capital. In 2010, the North America beckons again as they release Ghosts and plan on extensive touring. They recently played at SXSW 2010 in Austin, TX in March and will begin touring North America May of this year, supporting Laura Marlin."