Monocled Alchemist

’The Snow It Melts The Soonest’/’Autumn Comes’ (Murmurations) February 2026

The Wynter Reign | The Snow It Melts The Soonest | Murmurations | 2026 | The latest creative outlet for Higher State leader, Marty Ratcliffe is The Wynter Reign. They describe themselves as ‘Acid Folk from Glastonbury’, and from what I’ve heard from demo recordings, live performances and on this self-financed private press single, they’re most definitely a duo to unashamedly embrace with your mind and hope new material comes to light soon, because their music is very special and unique for our time.

With this project Marty is joined by Ali Norton whose vocals perfectly compliment the haunting serenity of their songs. Her role is also adding evocative embellishments with glockenspiel and synthesizer.

Acid folk wouldn’t work without psychedelic drones, affecting guitar chords, effects and on some occasions the electric sitar. Fear not, minstrels of the British wildwoods because the multi-talented Marty Ratcliffe unveils his sonic magick on “The Snow It Melts The Soonest” and “Autumn Comes”.

The Wynter Reign | The Snow It Melts The Soonest | Murmurations | 2026

“The Snows They Melt the Soonest” is an English folk song dating back at least as far as 1821. On their recording of this traditional composition, The Wynter Reign base the tune on an authentic foundation of eerie synth and other-worldly sustained sounds. It’s a very beautiful arrangement.

The song has been recorded by many artists over the years including versions by Archie Fisher, Anne Briggs, Pentangle and The Horslips. Even Sting got in on the act with his version on the album ‘If On A Winter’s Night’ from 2009.

The snow it melts the soonest when the winds begin to sing,
The corn it ripens fastest when the frost is setting in.
And when a young man says to me my face he’ll soon forget,
Before we part, I wage a crown, he’s fain to follow it yet.

On the other side is “Autumn Comes“, another traditional folk song, although I have not been able to find out if it has ever been recorded before. According to the lyric insert that came with the single . . . . trad – arranged by The Wynter Reign.

Only 40 copies of the disc were pressed and these obviously sold out immediately, but those who missed out can buy digital downloads via The Wynter Reign’s Bandcamp site.