Four-piece indie rock band Murder By Death released its fourth studio album "Red of Tooth and Claw" last Tuesday on its new label, Vagrant Records. The band, which is named after a Peter Sellers whodunit mystery movie, is known for its wide range of musical styles, including fast-paced punk rock, alternative indie and a little bit of country.
This album, like "Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?" (2003), is a concept album, following the band members as they delve into the late 1890s. Vocalist Adam Turla has said that the album resembles "Homer's Odyssey of revenge, only without the honorable character at the center."
Considering the snarly vocals and western feel of the first track, "Coming Home," one might imagine zombie Johnny Cash bursting into the room at its start. However, the heavy drum and guitar presence toward the middle of the song negates that feeling quickly.
People who loathe country music might as well skip this song - and the rest of the tracks as well. If one can stick it out however, a great album awaits.
Sure, the band relies heavily on the Western feel for the whole album, but some tracks are so interesting in themselves that they were much easier to listen to than others.
The cello parts, played by Sarah Balliet, add to the western and indie feel of the music. The sullen "Ball and Chain," which is melancholy and full of cowboy-esque wailing, follows. The song relies on keyboards and piano, and speeds up toward the end, making up for the first half, which has more whining than even a typical Dashboard Confessional album.
The next track, "Rumbrave," is one of the best on the album and certainly the best out of the bunch that came before it. The track is upbeat and very wordy. As with many indie bands, the songs produced on this album are, for the most part and with little exception, lyrically brilliant. The album follows tradition with "Fuego!" - a catchy song, but only in that pretentious indie way. Surely many people won't find the song very catchy at all, but compared to any other popular song from a similar artist, there is something that makes this track stand out.
The album trails off with an instrumental piece, aptly titled "Theme (for Enrico Morricone)" because it sounds like the tense background music that is played before any man goes off to duel in a western movie. The track is nice and doesn't seem overbearing or too calm for its own good.
The rest of the album is really a mixed bag of excellent songs, and songs that sound too similar to the ones before it. "A Second Opinion" sounds like it was taped when Turla had a bad stomach ache as he moans and wails his way over the chorus. "Steal Away," however, is reminiscent of the peppier and livelier tracks that offset tracks like "Ash," which are heavy and bring back the gothic feel of "Who Will Survive." Another different type of song is heard in "'52 Ford," which is very rhythmic and might as well induce finger snapping and clapping to the beat. The final track on the album, "Spring Break 1899," reminds the listener of the old-timey high school slow dance, or possibly, a trip to an old west town where things are going smoothly and the road is clear ahead.
