Martes 24 Abr 2007, 13:42

Songs Of Desperation
Rating: *****

There's dark music, then there's twisted music, and then there's also oppressive music. Now, I've been listening to stuff like Black Metal, Death Metal, Funeral Doom, Dark Ambient and Noise for years. Some of that stuff's rather dark and twisted, even oppressive. But not like Those Poor Bastards. Not at all.

"Gothic Country", you say? I don't know about that, although I guess it fits. It's dark, oh fucking YES!, and there is a little hint of a perverse romanticism in here as well, I'd say. And the Country-bit is undeniable.

If you've read HP Lovecraft's The Picture In The House, I would describe Songs Of Desperation as its soundtrack. Minimalistic, eerie, oppressive, haunting, fucked up and so very, very dark. The first few times you listen to this, you'll most likely be a bit confused with the weird soundscapes, but once you get past that phase, the dark and lunatic glory of Songs Of Desperation will be unveiled to you. You'll be hooked.

There is an abundance of dark music in the world, but few get the darkness, the maniacal and twisted aspects and sensations through to the listener as Those Poor Bastards. I don't know what it is, maybe it hits a common chord with some childhood fears or whatnot, but this is really effective music. The captivating vocals spew forth the twisted lyrics onto a most of the time minimalistic and fucked up Country-tune… this is what those scary, mad old hermits in their crumbled lone cabins sing about when they're drunk on cheap whiskey or moonshine.

To summarize it all: when making a list of Top-10 dark and scary albums, this would be included on mine. Outstanding.