On a recommendation from Anthony Fantano – who if you have not checked out his intelligent, compelling music reviews, you’re fracking crazy or dead, I’ll go with dead – I downloaded a release from a band called Big Blood. Having never heard them, who wouldn’t be interested to expand their musical canon. After the first listen, I may be regretting that decision. Don’t let that mislead you, the music here isn’t bad, more like the creepiest lo-fi, fuzz folk you’ve ever heard.

Big Blood take a genre like freak folk to a whole new level, implementing a series of strange sounds, with a high touch for production value. Their fearful music is bolstered by the fact that they really don’t have a website or anything to relate to. Yeah they have a myspace, but who uses that anymore? Describing this music is similar to someone to sewing a quilt, but one human flesh, with a ton of eyes on top of it staring at you, similar to that arcane book in the movie Hocus Pocus.

The album opens with an inviting set of keyboards and bells, almost like a Siren song to lure you in. Despite that, they’re chanting for you to get away, but you can’t help but be lured in to the ensuing story. Laced throughout the album are these spoken/sung word tracks that sound like they’re from the early 1900’s radio, that begins on the second track – “Old Time Primitives” – which leads into an acoustic guitar, sinister bass, and old timey piano. The spoken word is still laced throughout, and familiar female vocals are edited, giving it a choppy effect. It’s a freak out that is still enticing, and melodically intricate in it’s devices.

The record starts to get sinister on the third track, “Out of Turn” which has a creepy, echoey piano melody, a bass laced in reverb, and haunting vocal that will lead to nightmares. From there, the album leads into a chaotic journey that could be best described as running from natives in an undiscovered country. The last track in particular – “Shadows for the Land” – has a creepy chanting throughout the track, that reminds of the “tear down the wall” chants on the Pink Floyd track “The Trial.” The album ends with what sounds like the sudden shutting off of a radio, which amps up the creep factor in an unresolved manner.

If you can make it through this record without freaking out, it’s a really well constructed album. The production value here rivals that of some of your favorite albums from big name artists and producers. Considering that the band recorded this in a home, really makes you appreciate the production value even more. The songwriting is so intricate that it really is delicate, despite it’s savage nature. Download this music folks, it’s free!

Album Rating: Buy Is on CD or Vinyl

Listening Co-efficient: Active Listen

Music Website: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Big_Blood/

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