(5 / 5)
Langan, Frost & Wane first came to our attention some five years ago (summer of 2021) when their lovely debut (self-titled) album landed and we gave it a deserved full-house five star review. Since then, a long wait for “that difficult second album”.
Well, as of October 2026, that wait is over with the release of 12 glorious new tracks all lovingly gathered together for the new LP, “Tomorrow For a Stone”.
The Philadelphia trio of Brian Langan, Robert James Frost, and Nam Wayne, have crafted their own niche, which they call “fantasy-folk” or “acid-folk”.
Their work is self-produced in a house in the shadow of a vast overgrown graveyard in West Philadelphia and utilises late 60’s analogue equipment and harks back to the sounds typical of the likes of The Incredible String Band, Syd Barrett and Donovan.
Prominent vocal harmonies, finger picked guitar, period instruments like oud, harp, setar, harpsichord, penny whistle, and mellotron, all come together in a kaleidoscopic sensibility that flashes from fun and flowery to poetic and arcane.
The album has been whittled down from two years of studio recordings and experimentation to 12 selected tracks (including the 37 seconds of “Serpent’s Milk”), the tracks assembled so that the album begins with mid-60’s Brit and folk pop, and descends into the post folk revival acid fallout that befell the early 70’s.
Taking the listener through an almost chronological journey of the hippy movement. It culminates with “The Lark”, a 10 minute odyssey that ebbs and flows through melodies and themes, eventually “dragging you down to hell” only to find you’ve been reborn “by the grace of the common meadowlark”.
They have gathered a formidable cast of guest musicians, including Russell Higbee of Modest Mouse, for this record released via Goldstar Recordings. Like their debut offering in 2021, best not to describe the ins and outs of each track; better to hear it and make up your own mind.
But check out the review of that fab first one via the link below and the video on that page, and the video here for the track “Widow’s Bay” from the new LP, and if it whets your appetite and floats your boat, you know what to do…
“Tomorrow For a Stone” is pretty much more of the same as the first album: Folky, fun, classy and very, very well done. Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be! Oh yes it is – just ask Mr Langan, Mr Frost and Mr Wane…
Langan, Frost & Wane: Self-Titled (Goldstar Recordings) Out now…
By Christopher Weston
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
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