[rating=9.00]
Indiana-bred band Murder By Death is the epitome of alternative rock, in the sense that they never stop evolving and playing with alternative sounds. Their new record Big Dark Love is both big and dark, and finds the band exploring everything from country rock to folk rock, pop rock, punk rock, classic rock, Southern rock (it was recorded in Kentucky) and more. You never know what’s behind the next corner as you listen, and you’ll appreciate these guys keeping you on your toes.
At times soft and glowy as on “Send Me Home”, and other times amplified and vast like on ‘’I Shot an Arrow’’, Big Dark Love’s production is lively and voluminous. The instrumentals are the thing to listen to, and MBD did the exact opposite of keeping it simple. Keys, strings, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, and percussion are larger than life, adding a diverse expanse of tones. The strings can add both folksy flare, and orchestral depth. Each song’s arrangement makes a stronger statement than the one before it, though really, all of the songs on Big Dark Love are pulsating livewires.
Lead singer Adam Turla alternates between an understated, Decemberists-like delivery (“It Will Never Die”) and one filled with drama and gusto. And then every now and then he could even pass for Morrissey, with his moony sound. This is especially the case on “Last Thing”, a song that builds so thoughtfully, blooming into an up-tempo harmony-laden blast. His vocals are so urgent and full-bodied, they often sound like they’re exploding out of him, as though they’ve been pent up until now.
But the most intriguing thing about Big Dark Love is that no matter how catchy the song, there are ominous undertones lurking around every corner. It’s an album so full of instrumental nuances that are completely unexpected. The arrangements feel fresh and new, and so exciting. It’s thrilling when, on a song like “Solitary One”, horns suddenly show up out of the blue, or when out of nowhere a rich sweeping of strings enters the picture. The layers upon layers of elements in each song continuously sneak up on us and surprise us.
“Hunted” is one of these moments, as its trembling guitar creates a kind of old Western soundscape, barren, menacing and moody. And “Strange Eyes”, the absolute crown jewel of Big Dark Love is all at once poppy and infectious, with its driving and rough-edge strings that operate so sharply, almost as if they were percussion or a bass line. And the fuzzy, lo fi vocals on title track “Big Dark Love” allow for the jazzy instrumentals to shine as they so deserve. “Natural Pearl” has the band playing with a more hokey country sound, and a stormy, melancholy tone takes over on the lightning strike that is “Dream in Red”.
Murder By Death proves that they’ll never leave us hanging. Big Dark Love is an impactful force that never stops to rest. There’s so much here for us to explore, and if this record is any indication, Murder By Death is nowhere near finished exploring with us.
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