Candidate "Nuada" (2002)

Nuada is a novel project that manages to stay away from novelty. Candidate states that the album is a tribute to Paul Giovanni's film score for 1972's The Wickerman, which admittedly I have not seen. Though judging by this album, maybe it's worth a look. Nuada is at its heart a folk album. Folk is often subject to hokiness and uncomfortable harmonizing, but Candidate avoid this because of Joel Morris's warm voice and warmer acoustic playing. A few of the songs sound lifted from a '70s soundtrack ("Tomorrow's Tomorrow" and "Beautiful Birds"), but it is pulled off with nice precision. Morris re-imagines The Wickerman soundtrack as if Nick Drake played it. The intricate yet simple guitar playing and deep vocal, accented by a falsetto, dominate most of the tracks. One thing about folk music is that it can always be a viable form of music when it is done right. It is difficult to get it right. But Candidate hit more than they miss. "Circle of Ash" (some parts of this song reminds me Nick Drake's "Know") is haunted by back-up singing and a mellotron, while "Rain on the Roof" utilizes a banjo and Morris's best performance on the record. Nuada is peppered with songs that will sound equally stellar in 20 years. The record may be dated in its inspiration, but it also has some timeless qualities.