Label: Concentric Circles – none
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 12 Jun 2026
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Acoustic, Lo-Fi
Impossibly intimate, cracked melancholia from Empress / New North Wales member Chris Coyle’s under-appreciated solo guise Halkyn.
The nexus of interconnected bands operating in and around Leeds in 90s / early 00s is one of eternal, divine inspiration for ANF. It’s no secret. Starting at Hood and fraying out into Empress, New North Wales, Remote Viewer, Boy Racer, Famous Boyfriend then later sorta continuing through The Boats, Humble Bee, Cotton Goods…wow. Coyle’s Halkyn solo project is imbued with the same unique strain of fragile beauty that makes the music from these artists so irresistible. It starts to make sense when considering the unique landscapes of the North of England and Wales, the desolate Yorkshire Moors and rugged, baron mountains of Snowdonia are places of intimating beauty. Coyle’s painterly folk sketches leave bags of wide-open space for contemplation, the tape hiss mirroring the near-permanent drizzle around these parts and very occasionally, when that tender, warbling melody breaks through the clouds, it’s hard not to feel like you’re listening to something very precious. Being reminded of how special this music is always feels like a joy, full marks to Jed’s Concentric Circles label for the unmatched enthusiasm and convincing Chris to let people into his private world. (Mint / New - shops pls ask for wholesale)
Tracklist
A1 Norway
A2 Untitled
A3 The Waves Imply A Weight
A4 Untitled
A5 Untitled
A6 Land And Sea
A7 Now It's Gone
A8 Past The Station
B1 Local Summit
B2 One Last Day
B3 Forest Two
B4 Tidal
B5 Through Snow
B6 Lake One
B7 Church Bay
B8 Field Network
B9 Komsa
B10 Lonely Range
B11 Contour
B12 Early View
B13 Outside
