Bishopskin is unparalleled at integrating sounds and influences of British folk music that have long been dormant, from the incorporation of strings and woodwind to unique choral arrangements that tie in the album’s religious artistic roots. The history of British and pre-reformation catholic folklore sound like trumpets in the ears of listeners, not afraid to take up space to grow within a timeless movement of music.

Since first forming in lockdown as the brainchild of Lead vocalist Tiger Nicholson and guitarist James Donovan, Bishopskin has been unrelenting in pushing musical boundaries. Now having grown to include seven more collaborators, each member of Bishopskin brings a totally unique perspective to the band’s already eclectic sound. When listening to Babble as a whole, the sound creates what it says on the tin, the distinct Babble of a vibrant community.

The opening track, Ave Maria, wastes no time incorporating the religious symbolism that comes to define the entirety of the album. The greeting of ‘Good morning my Lord, I’m sorry’ cuts clear as the lead vocalist struggles with his personal vision of faith, staccato vocal features and long phrases mimicking a cry for help. A folklore prayer is thus created like stories around a campfire, creating the chill of an English winter night which passes through generations. The soprano sounds later in the track ring like sirens, echoing themes similar to classical hymnal arrangements by the likes of Schubert and Mozart, a personal and modern prayer rooted in timeless tradition.

Mothers Steel Bike calls to mind the idea of a lost Blakean image of England, with Nicholson emphasising his vision to embrace the England that ‘lies sleeping underneath these rolling hills’. Ethereal harmonic layers allow listeners to journey to an otherworldly space, in which vocal percussion and drums paint an idyllic soundscape of the ‘forest and the night’. Msb features a guitar and violin duo, with flamenco sounding melodies creating a call and response effect between the singer and the instrumentation. This playful musical interlude is a continuation from the previous track, building in spirit to capture the sense of freedom they both represent.

We see the track Hey Little Sister begin with Hana Miyagi’s lament of the violin, later progressing into a fiddle like groove to showcase the versatility of the beloved classical string instrument. Another honourable mention would have to go to Tati Gutteridge, for a saxophone solo which definitely is a highlight of the track. Hey Little Sister is one of the more pointedly Christian tracks on the album, exploring the importance of listening to the plan God has for you when faced with hard times. Once again Bishopskin vividly paints forgotten England, surrounding the listener with a cacophony of sound that brings to mind the liveliness and joviality of an old Tavern. Tribute to tradition is mimicked further in the reconstruction of the hymn swing low sweet chariot, Come Home. The low bass tones paired with the drill device of sweeping percussion provide a soft hopeful lullaby, shifting into a guitar riff which mirrors a folk style jig.

The tremolo of the violin, cymbals crashing like waves, and climbing of the singer’s vocal range set Born in high tension. The track directly covers themes of national identity in a defiant tone, growing in passion before shifting smoothly into spoken word in a way which defies form and genre. National identity resumes in the adaptation of the 14-century hymn of pilgrimage, Stella Splendens, which heavily incorporates conventions of Ukrainian folk. The band’s willingness to push the boundaries of folk music manifest in the pursuit of this track’s unorthodox sound.

Tati Gutteridge and Tabitha Avazato utilise their crisp vocal blend to pass lyrical ideas through the group for Holy Mary, like a classic folk song sung in the round. Hypnotic repetition and plucked guitar strings resemble rain tapping on a windowpane, conducting a trancelike experience of faith and community.

Bishopskin strips back their performance style as the album progresses. With Larks Prayer and Down on the Moor introducing a more conventional style, embracing stripped back vocal and instrumental performances that pay homage to sounds of the 1970s folk revival. Donovan when speaking about the album’s relationship with faith states, ‘“I think everyone has the capacity and the desire to feel something a bit spiritual’. Perhaps these tracks seek confirmation of the spirituality that can be enjoyed by all, not just the experimental.

In their press release, Bishopskin claimed Jerusalem as the ‘founding document’ for the group, making it fitting to pay homage in the closing piece. Bishopskin’s Jerusalem imparts the same feelings of hope and renewal that William Blake professes so beautifully. The isolated piano and raw vocals leave listeners with an intimate last taste of Bishopskin, with newborn cries echoing the newfound and assembled faith that is Babble.