The concept album often poses a risk for musicians. It’s the kind of gamble that has resulted in both Pet Sounds and Machina/The Machines of God.
At this point, it’s hard to call gamblers, but they are certainly not strangers to thematic compositions. Most of MBD’s discography consists of concept albums, and their latest, Big Dark Love, is no exception.Throughout their career, they’ve covered sin, morality, and loyalty. Now, Murder by Death dives into love.
Jun 1, 2018 - Murder by Death is raising funds for MURDER BY DEATH'S NEW. August 24th, by the wonderful Bloodshot Records, who are our incredible allies in. Only, and tickets come with a special edition vinyl of the new album and,. MURDER BY DEATH Records and CDs American indie rock / alternative country band founded in 2000 in Bloomington, Indiana. Their name is derived from the 1976 Robert Moore film of the same name.
Even 2010’s Good Morning, Magpie, while not unified in theme, resulted from frontman Adam Turla’s, where he “went into the woods with a backpack and a tent and came out two weeks later with a bunch of songs.” The concept album is a creative style that facilitates the looming, theatrical nature of the music they create. Big Dark Love is brilliant where many MBD albums also thrive: in setting a stage. The textural expansion allowed by the addition of multi-instrumentalist David Fountain, coupled with a more comprehensive production approach, serves this end. The problem is that watching the band set up the stage is still more interesting than the production that follows.The beginning of “I Shot an Arrow” feels like the dawn of a new era — engaging synth bass, tight percussion — but it lands flat. The dynamics at the peak of that song, along with the title track, “Send Me Home”, and several others, set a trend of more interesting ascensions than apogees. Blunt refrains like “Let me in/ Me and my big dark love” fall short of the coy, engrossing foreplay that leads to their climax.At a macro level, however, Big Dark Love’s lyrics work.
The album examines love through different lenses, offering interesting perspectives on loving to excess, not wanting to be a burden, and even unconditional love coming up against personal morality. But while Murder by Death excels at choosing an angle, the narratives and meager attempts at eclecticism lack the same energy. Murder by Death can conjure up a veil of smoke that demands attention. The question remains whether what’s behind the smoke will ever be as engrossing.Essential Tracks: “I Shot an Arrow”, “Strange Eyes”, and “Hunted”.
STRETCH GOALS!WOW. JUST THANK YOU. You'll hear from us next week about fulfillment. Thank you.If you missed out some of the items are availableuntil we run out.At $278K - All backers get a free DL of 'Songs In The Key of Robocop' - the silly songs I sing at my dog. UNLOCKED!At $320K - All backers get a free stream of 'MBD: Live At The Stanley Hotel' concert doc.
UNLOCKED!At $340k - All backers $100 and up get a 7' record of 'Songs In The Key Of Robocop', the mini ep of stupid songs i sing at my dog.