III

Arboria return with Arboria III, and Messers Parkes and Wood are ready to open that door one more time. Its eleven pieces form a woodland tale that begins at sunrise, passes through hidden gardens and moonlit rites, then settles into sleep with the promise of another morning close by.

Across Arboria III, Arboria use a modest group of instruments to tell a story with remarkable clarity. Acoustic guitar keeps the earth beneath our feet, woodwind gives movement to birds, moonlight and hidden plants, brass carries fellowship and celebration, while bass leads the animals through the darker parts of the forest. Every track passes its scene naturally to the next, which gives the album the flow of a tale spoken aloud beside a fire. The influence of Dreamlord Recordings can be felt in its willingness to let music open an imagined place, yet Arboria give that idea their own pastoral character. This is a record for headphones, low light and the kind of evening where your thoughts need somewhere kinder to rest. By the time the swan touches down, Arboria III has taken root somewhere deep in your memory