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**1/2 Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci

THE BLUE TREES

(Mantra/Beggars Banquet)

The Welsh psychedelic-pop group Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci indulge in their folksinger side here, playing only acoustic instruments, but there’s no let-up in the playful spirit that’s marked their decade of musicmaking. They’ve earned an underground following by balancing sensitive melodies with charming rock tunes that always pack a surprise, such as medieval instrumentation or memorable hooks sung in Welsh.

On this eight-track EP, the band who once named a song after Soft Machine member Kevin Ayers keep the pace slow and wistful, with touches of piano and fiddle fleshing out mostly melancholy songs. The vocal harmonies between lead singer Euros Childs and his sister Megan (who also plays fiddle) are lovely on the twangy, Celtic-accented “This Summer’s Been Good from the Start” and the sentimental “Foot and Mouth ’68.” More vocals from Megan would’ve been a nice addition; instead, the band include three moody instrumental cuts. The EP’s peppiest moment is a warm-blooded cover of “Fresher Than the Sweetness in Water,” by late-’60s cult band the Honeybus. Gorky’s decorate the tune’s resounding chorus with a sweetly sawing fiddle line that’s the brief disc’s centerpiece and an encouraging harbinger of what we might expect on the band’s next full-length, which is due out later this year.

— Lydia Vanderloo