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Thus, the band rolls through 11 skewed country rock pieces, featuring accordion and string instruments, banjo, and distorted electric guitar. All stylistic devices from the Americana instrumentation are skillfully employed here, not as an end in themselves, but always fitting to the music. One after another, these songs create a dark ambiance, with beautiful, dynamic arrangements and just the right amount of pressure at the right spots, so it doesn’t just drag down but also rocks. No question, this is partly pure cowboy music; those who don’t like it will soon leave the saloon and ride off into the sunset, but it’s not cheerful hillbilly plucking; it’s too tragic for that. And the weighty intonation of the singer undoubtedly enhances this, echoing Mark Twain: being a Christian means believing in the devil. This is one of David Eugene Edwards' controversial traits, letting his superstition flow into the music. You can feel however you want about it, but in this case, it brings an Old Testament pathos to the songs that suits them well. By the way, three songs are covers, but they fit in nicely, and in the GUN CLUB song "Fire Spirit," Bertrand Cantat from NOIR DÉSIR adds a two-part cat duet. The guy seems to come running whenever the name of his idol, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, is mentioned. It fits quite well here.
In some passages, I find the melodrama a bit overdone, but otherwise, you can’t go wrong with this record. I found it particularly good as an introduction. A record for melancholic rainy days and for intense repeated listening.
