The major change on
Dando Shaft
's second album was the addition of singer
Polly Bolton
, whose lead and harmony singing added considerable color and appeal to the group's vocal blend. The band might have been edging just a bit closer to the
folk-rock
mainstream, too, with a more standard rhythmic and melodic base to some of the tunes. Generally, though, they remained in the same mindset as they were on their 1970 debut: just barely
rock
-influenced
folk
, similar to
Pentangle
but folkier, and given to a greater emphasis on mandolin, violin, and unusual tempos. While something like
"Whispering Ned"
sounded as
traditional
as British
got, other songs nodded a bit toward the more wistful romantic
pop
song tradition, like
"Sometimes,"
"'Til the Morning Comes,"
and
"Waves Upon the Ether."
The nature imagery of the debut was still present, too, if not as prominent, in songs like
"Riverboat"
(one of the highlights, with its lovely
Bolton
vocal). ~ Richie Unterberger