The Pasture & The Willow by Vagabonds

By Phil Hawkins

Back in 2020, and early in the pandemic, Vagabonds released the beautifully crafted Liminal Space (read our review here) which showcased a remarkably mature sound and lyrical prowess.

Over the course of the past two plus years Vagabonds has been hard at work on the follow up to Liminal Space. All of which has lead to the culmination that is The Pasture & The Willow.

The Pasture & The Willow opens with “Sungazer” which serves as an intro in long form. Musically, it is fairly simplistic yet very well rounded and it perfectly fits as the opening track as it feels like a bit of a bridge between Liminal Space and this album. “Conjure” follows and showcases Vagabonds fully embracing a more indie rock sound than its more shoegaze laden predecessor. [Luke] Dean’s poetic lyricism paired with the soaring musical elements create an atmospheric track that serves as a true highlight to the album. “The Checkout Line” gravitates to a dronier blend of the indie rock and shoegaze elements finding that perfect balance where the two share the same line.

“Nearness” (featuring Ratboys) feels very ethereal and keeps a very steady harmony throughout its entirety. “Theme From A Recurring Dream” follows and serves as an interlude of sorts. While it is rather short in length it manages to carries an almost haunting tone. “The Vessel Breaks” swings back in to a more shoegaze ambiance that is reminiscent of Starflyer 59 during the Everybody Makes Mistakes era. It embraces the shoegaze roots, but manages to give them a bit more pop sensibility. “A Quiet Truth” stands out as a rather unique track as it has a much more stripped down aesthetic than the rest of the album.

“Maybe (Callow)” (featuring Have Mercy) keeps some of the shoegaze elements that we have come to know and expect, but manages to change things up in the vocal delivery as the vocals are more clean than a breathier tone that is often commonplace with the style. In addition, about midway through the track it flips things into the more indie rock side of things creating a spectacularly executed contrast. “Prospects Of Hope” feels mildly melancholic for the first two thirds of the track but comes full circle by the final act and manages to create a somewhat cinematic feel as the final notes fade out. “To The Center (a denouement)” closes out the album in a brilliant fashion as it stays fairly somber from start to finish without adding a lot of additional musical elements. It keeps it simplistic, but utilizes that simplicity to put a nice endcap on the album.

Overall, The Pasture & The Willow is distinctly different from Liminal Space yet carries just enough similarities that allows you to truly see the progression from one project to the next. The level of increased musical and lyrical maturity only adds to the overall aesthetic of the album. It is a remarkable journey of joy, grief, connection and ordinary pain.

The Pasture & The Willow is available now on all major streaming and digital platforms or you can purchase directly from the band via their webstore.

You can catch Vagabonds live over the next couple of weeks by purchasing tickets here.