Dark, atmospheric bluesy rock from this Alabama based Indie band. Beautiful, yet haunting. The album has a lot of space and lets the songs just flow, letting them envelop you. Ten tracks that leave an impression of an experience.They're fine on their own, but wonderful together. There is definitely a Country influence on this album, which is refreshing. This album is a collection of Southern influences. Country is present, most definitely, but there's also strong overtones of the past Southern Rock acts and most certainly the Blues, with lyrics that are deeper than you might expect from a band that exemplifies so much of the South.
Garland of Bottle Flies opens with While You Were Bathing, a track that combines sentimental lyrics that ooze with emotion with a high pitched piano, a dark-underpinning guitar and haunting atmospherics to establish the mood of this album. Stella's overblown mic effect drive the lyrics forward, making for a quick, catchy rocking track that only goes for 2:30. I Have Brought Fire brings forth a fine Southern Rock-tinged ballad, complete with a trademark southern drawl. Wicked Drink picks up the pace and brings things into the modern day, but hangs onto these more complicated lyrics that keep these lighter sounding rock songs from being all that light. From those four tracks we can figure out what the rest of the album is going to sound like, different variations of these four combinations. Dr. Bill, a favorite of mine, is a story that goes through a couple different sonic changes, starting primarily acoustic and then just builds until it crescendos into this dark, loud tale that twists and turns, and then it builds up again, but never gets as loud as it did before and just rides it out right into the next track, The Last Time I Died, a beautiful acoustic-led duet. Stars flows right on through from The Last Time I Died, clocking in at a little over 2 minutes, providing a perfect segue into the highlight of the album, Billy Dee, a sprawling track clocking in at 9:32. A dark and twisted bluesy tale that surrounds our protagonist coming into contact with Billy Dee, a longtime rival, at a Motorhead show. Billy Dee steals the show, it is the center piece of this album and if you're going to listen to one song, make it this one. After that, we're onto Whitey Joe, a song with a strong Country feel that brings a tale of war front and center. Finally, we slip into Slyvianne, a slow ballad that encompasses a sad reflection of a man's life as he looks back.
Combining the brains of an Indie Rock band with a strong knowledge and acceptance of the music past of their culture, 13ghosts' Garland of Bottle Flies is not one to miss.
Spotify
Web Site
Buy The CD
No comments:
Post a Comment