Hull’s cinematic indie-folk ensemble Pavey Ark have officially released their long-awaited second album, ‘More Time, More Speed’, this Friday. The record arrives as a beautifully crafted and deeply evocative meditation on time, change, and the momentum of modern life. Expansive yet wonderfully intimate, the album finds the band refining their distinctive orchestral-folk sound into what becomes their most ambitious and immersive work to date.
The entire record is built around the atmospheric vocals and intricate, finger-picked guitar work of songwriter Neil Thomas. ‘More Time, More Speed’ unfolds elegantly with sweeping strings, melodic horns, rich bass lines, and precise, intricate percussion. This arrangement creates a warm, cinematic sound world that feels both utterly timeless and entirely contemporary. From the euphoric, apocalyptic surge of the recent single “Epoch” to the slow-thaw optimism found in “The Go Slow” and the stirring, lifting release of “Yesterday Is Done,” the album masterfully captures the elastic and elusive nature of time itself—stretching, looping, vanishing, and returning with new meaning.
This new project was recorded almost entirely by the band in a converted farm building just outside Hull, and it beautifully carries the quiet atmosphere of its surroundings. The music is imbued with the sounds of shifting seasons, distant machinery, and the rhythm of working land. The result is an album that truly feels lived-in and deeply human. While the strings were recorded both on the farm and at a Sheffield studio under the direction of Adrian McNally, who also co-produced and mixed three tracks, the remaining songs were mixed in Los Angeles by Paul Butler. Butler’s analog approach adds a noticeable warmth, glow, and dimension to the band’s already intricate arrangements, elevating the listening experience.
The release of ‘More Time, More Speed’ follows several milestone years for Pavey Ark. The band is highly regarded for their mesmerising live shows, performing at major events including SXSW Texas 2025, Glastonbury (Acoustic Stage, 2022), and Cambridge Folk Festival (2023, closing Stage 3). They have also provided support for esteemed acts such as This Is The Kit, Badly Drawn Boy, Willy Mason, Billie Marten, Wild Beasts, and Steve Mason. Their debut album, ‘Close Your Eyes and Think of Nothing’, earned widespread praise from UNCUT, Folk Radio, and BBC 6 Music, with several reviewers hailing it as “beautiful,” “sublime,” and even “a modern classic.”
If the debut introduced an ensemble of quiet ambition, ‘More Time, More Speed’ clearly reveals a band in full bloom. The songs twist and broaden with unexpected musical turns, guided by Thomas’s introspective, subtly piercing lyrical voice and the rich orchestrations provided by violinist and arranger Chris Heron. Themes of love, loss, renewal, obsession, and the weight, or gift, of time recur throughout the album, forming a loose narrative of reflection and release. Pavey Ark’s sophisticated ability to pair delicate songwriting with such a cinematic scope places them firmly in the lineage of artists like Andrew Bird, Laura Marling, and Fleet Foxes, all while remaining unmistakably and uniquely their own creation. With its warmth, patience, and high ambition, ‘More Time, More Speed’ is an album made for listeners who want to sink in deeply—a record that rewards the investment of time.
Live Dates
- Sun 30th November – Hull (Wrecking Ball)
- Mon 8th December – London, Tufnell Park (Aces & Eights)
- Fri 30th January – Sheffield (Cafe No9)
