other reviewers, Fiander suggested that Steeple "walks a fine line between revivalism and timelessness" but found that its execution and number of "unique turns" lent it more of the latter quality. Julia Reidy gave the record three and a half stars out of five in her review for Tiny Mix Tapes, stating that while it has a "completeness to it, a reassuring wholeness even when things get loud or wild or weird", Steeple "errs on the side of monotony" in "sticking firmly to its take on authentic psychedelia" in contrast with previous album Tidings, which she felt was more adventurous and exotic sounding. Theo Krekis gave Steeple 7 out of 10 in his review for the Drowned in Sound website, congratulating Sharp on his vocal performance and stating that "Tiny Circle" and "Painted Cross" were the best songs on the album, both finding "common ground between both the people's psychedelia of Ocean Colour Scene's "Riverboat Song", the rawness of Queens of the Stone Age's Era Vulgaris and the progressiveness of Battles". In his four-star-out-of-five review for Classic Rock, Scott Rowley claimed that Steeple was a "late contender for album of the year", picking out "Tiny Circle", "One by One From Dorney Reach" and "Banks of Sweet Dundee" as the record's highlights and likening Wolf People to the Incredible String Band, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Fairport Convention. Writing for the BBC's website, Noel Gardner was even more enthusiastic, calling Steeple "one of the towering highlights of 2010". Gardner praised Wolf People's musicianship, in particular the "swinging funkiness" of drummer Tom Watt, and likened them to Fairport Convention, Black Sabbath, Black Mountain and Swedish rock bands Graveyard and Witchcraft. Fain RecordingFain was recorded at guitarist Joe Hollick's home—an old gatehouse by a river in Skipton, Yorkshire—a location drummer Tom Watt has described as an "inspiring [...] beautiful place". When renting the house, Hollick agreed with his landlord that he would be recording a "four piece noisy rock band in the front room". During sessions, Watts, singer Jack Sharp and bassist Dan Davies camped outside the house so their equipment, including vintage guitars and amplifiers, could be stored inside. The band experimented with complex song structures, while Sharp performed "exhaustive research" when writing his lyrics, citing the "sense [of] depth" evident in Richard Thompson's songs because of the research the ex-Fairport Convention guitarist carries out, as an inspiration. The track