I’ve always been intrigued by Murder By Death. The Bloomington, Indiana band has always been known as “that band with the cello player,” and though I’ve liked their previous efforts, something about Red Of Tooth And Claw speaks to me. It is an album full of darkness and tension but also gothic elegance. In fact, Murder By Death (at times) sounds fucking scary on Red Of Tooth And Claw. Jolted with dusty man in black Americana as well as some modern emo trappings, the band undoubtedly sounds like none other. Yeah there’s the hauntingly beautiful yet bleak and forlorn cello played by Sarah Balliet but there is also Adam Turla’s velvety baritone that sounds a little like the ghost of Johnny Cash is walking among us.
Now although the first two songs on Red Of Tooth And Claw start off a bit slowly and are (perhaps) the weakest two tracks on the record, it all quickly snaps into place and the band delivers the remaining nine songs like their lives depend on it. Almost as if it is all full of fatally-doomed antebellum romance and directly descended from the Southern gothic tradition, this is what country music would sound like if Tim Kasher was ghostwriting for J.R. with his backing band (Cursive) supplying the dischord. It is hard for a band to be adventurous and slightly off-putting while sounding almost old-timey as well. Somehow Murder By Death manages to make it work amazingly well.
MP3 | Murder By Death – Fuego! Red Of Tooth And Claw
MP3 | Murder By Death – Steal Away Red Of Tooth And Claw
