by Chris Nickson
They're German, and they're sincere in what they do -- which is make modern folk music. They're so earnest that it's hard to make fun of them, even when so much of their music resembles an almost goth Enya with pop vocals (courtesy of two female singers). And they certainly dive in wholeheartedly, not afraid to tackle something from 16th century Portugal or a Sephardic Jewish song in between their own material -- which attempts to conjure up an ancient atmosphere. Lyrically, they try too hard and achieve a kind of juvenile minstrelsy that masquerades as atmosphere. But at the same time it's hard not to feel at least a little sympathetic, as they're just so open in what they do.