Murder By Death - In Bocca al Lupo
www.murderbydeath.com

Murder By Death have outdone themselves this time around. If you thought the cello was just a instrument that your parents tortured you with as a youngster (mine did), well, think of what you COULD have done.

While MBD is a band that has more in common with Johnny Cash this time around, the simple songs have more depth than the previous concept album Who will survive and what will be left of them.

The atmosphere this record hits you with is that of sitting outside of a saloon in the old west listening to a local and his guitar spin yarns of times past. This record takes a more folk-oriented approach, and like I said, channeling the spirit of Johnny Cash not just lyrically (see Shiola, Sometimes the line walks you, and Brother really show this) but also vocally in a very eerie way.

The shear somber tone of this will have you thinking that this record was recorded from beyond the grave, its just that haunting. Time almost stood still the first time I listened to this, I kid you not.

While some songs may seem a bit out of place, like Dead Men and Sinners, which comes off as a rollicking pirate drinking song, they all seem to fit the overall mood of this record. The Indiana quartet seem to outdo themselves, this is a seamless blend of not only Americana, folk, country, and just plain somber honesty. This is a record that does not disappoint in any way at all, do yourself a huge favor, buy this, go outside on the porch, grab your favorite sipping beverage and enjoy everything that Murder By Death have to offer.

10/10