ARTIST: Murder By Death
TITLE: In Bocca Al Lupo
LABEL: Tent Show
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 208kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 43min total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-05-23
RIP DATE: 2006-05-01
Track List
----------
01. Boy Decide 3:15
02. One More Notch 3:05
03. Dead Men And Sinners 1:54
04. Brother 3:48
05. Dynamite Mine 3:19
06. The Organ Grinder 2:41
07. Sometimes The Line Walks You 2:52
08. Raw Deal 4:04
09. The Big Sleep 4:26
10. Shiola 4:13
11. Steam Rising 4:08
12. The Devil Drives 5:44
Release Notes:
Indiana's Murder by Death layers the vocal sounds of an old saloon with the haunting
strings of an Hungarian folk dance and the hard driving rhythms of pure rock n' roll,
producing what Stuff magazine has called "lush, orchestrated songs," somehow
simultaneously reminiscent of Johnny Cash and Radiohead. Added to that thick and
intriguing sound are a series of dark and ironic lyrics, combining the mood and tone
of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds with the narrative force of the Decemberists or a
short story by Nathanial Hawthorne. Adam Turla fills out these sometimes frightening,
sometimes beautiful lyrics by conjuring up a cast of character voices, allowing the
songs to speak with the force of the characters themselves, and providing the
listener with a sense of ensemble unique in rock music.
But this ensemble feel is not only the result of Turla's vocal playfulness, but of
the cohesive playing of the band itself. Sarah Balliet channels her Kentucky
Bluegrass roots through the skilled hands of a concert cellist, playing point and
counterpoint to the lyrics and guitars with magnificent grace and style. Matt
Armstrong's bass guitar provides the rhythmic framework of the band, but also takes
the lead with surprising frequency, guiding Murder by Death into driving highs and
brooding lows. And Alex Schrodt's drumsticks almost dance across the skins, giving
the band what the Chicago Reader called "a rhythm section Nick Cave or the Faint
would die for." The result is a fascinating slice of American Gothic, replete with
trail rides, whiskey shots and Old Scratch himself.
Murder by Death's unique sound has developed over several years of touring and
recording. Constantly evolving their sound, the style changes from their first
release "Like The Exorcist, But More Breakdancing" to their sophomore release, "Who
Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?". "Who Will Survive..." grew from a
small, limited pressing album into a sleeper hit as they constantly toured the
country, sharing the stage with bands as diverse as The Weakerthans, Rasputina,
Lucero, Against Me!, and William Elliott Whitmore. "Who Will Survive's..." rich
narrative structure, which recounted the travails of a small western town besieged
by the devil, not only garnered popular and critical attention, but inspired a
number of artistic reactions and responses, including ballet and stage productions,
paintings, and even a PhD thesis.
The band's new album, entitled "In Bocca al Lupo," forgoes the integrated narrative
structure of "Who will Survive..., " presenting the listener with an album built on
thematic connections. "In Bocca al Lupo," which translates roughly to "In the Mouth
of the Wolf" (a phrase said before students take exams in Italian classrooms, and to
which the students respond "Kill the Wolf"), examines themes of sin, transgression,
punishment, and redemption, touching on different lives and different stories in
each individual song. The resulting album resembles the 1979 murder mystery from
which the band takes its name-a pastiche of bad deeds and good intentions, of last
minute heroism and, in some cases, nearly impossible forgiveness.
Musically, "In Bocca al Lupo" is as diverse as the various stories that the album
recounts. The songs themselves reflect the stories they tell-gritty rock and roll
beats drive "Brother" and "Sometimes the Line Walks You," complex tango rhythms
twine themselves through "One More Notch," and lonely western guitars accompany the
simple elegance of "Shiola" and "Raw Deal." Each of the album's ballads and waltzes,
chants and hard hitting rock songs, meld content and form, creating meaning in the
music itself. Murder by Death's unique musical aesthetic ties these seemingly
disparate tracks together. With the help of producer J. Robbins (Jets to Brazil,
Jawbox, Against Me!) the lush melodies and harmonies so unique to the band transform
these varied sounds into a coherent and cohesive album, an album whose overall sound
and sensibility melds the darkest moments of Modest Mouse's "Good News for People
Who Love Bad News" with the maudlin country roots of Western folk rock. The band's
thick, fretted, knotty sound provides a through line, tying together an album as
musically diverse as the backcountry roads and basement rooms that inspired it.
"In Bocca al Lupo", on Tent Show Records, the band's own label, shows off Murder by
Death's maturity, both as songwriters and musicians. The album is alternately rough
and gentle, elegant and complex, intelligent and playful; it moves from one to the
other without breaking stride, without interrupting the album as whole. Murder by
Death is known for their talent as performers, for their live presence, the
ambiance and energy present in their music. "In Bocca al Lupo" harnesses this
energy and distills it, adding to it the maturity of a band constantly on the
road.