An angel’s halo shines brightly at all times, but a saint’s is only faintly visible in the half-light of dusk or dawn. Perhaps that is why snakefarm‘s recordings have gone largely unnoticed since it was formed in 1999. Or perhaps Anna Domino and Michel Delory are only kidding when they use the title of their 2011 album to claim sainthood.

snakefarm specialises in a particular brand of folk music. The songs are all traditional, but they have been given a radical makeover. If you listen to folk music at all, you will recognise the lyrics. The tunes, though, may not be the ones you know, and the arrangements carry the unmistakeable snakefarm stamp of originality.

“All songs based on traditional ballads in the public domain.”

The ‘Notes’ on the ‘My Halo …’ album page on Discogs.

As is often the case, the themes are dark, even tragic. They tell of “desperate longing, anguish of betrayal, murderous rage, heartbreak, loss and plain old FEAR”. But the overall feel is never gloomy. These songs are, in a sense, an antidote to our inner sadness and despair. As the husband and wife duo put it:

The death of innocents is a great cathartic call to weep for our own innocence.

From an interview with snakefarm on the Fatea Magazine website.

If the mention of folk music brings to mind ham-fisted guitarists and out-of-tune singers, let me reassure you. Both members of snakefarm are highly accomplished musicians. Anna Domino has released four full-length albums as a solo artist, Michel Delory is proficient on a variety of instruments, and guest musicians complete the line-up perfectly. Together, they are a highly polished, studio quality folk/rock/country band.

I don’t begrudge them their self-appointed saintly aura.