I remember seeing this band mentioned on the Caulfield message board many moons ago, I think they were connected with some other bands from some obscure part of Wisconsin or something. Bands like Managra? I could be wrong. Probably am. Never mind. That’s not so important. I recall being intrigued to hear them but never actually saw any of their stuff about so it was nice to get sent this. There are five tracks on the CD, and they have a complex yet melodic rock sound which brings to my mind stuff like the Hal Al Shedad, yet it’s crossed with the eerie and moody sound of Boilermaker or Three Mile Pilot. And then other moments, such as the squelchy bass on “If Only You Listened” I am reminded more of DC type bands.
The tracks swirl around amidst some tight and rocking guitars, with the vocals drifting in and out, sometimes sung and sometimes yelled. It works really well. They create dark atmosphere for their songs, and weave a quality groove between things that really hooks me in. Especially on “cutthroats”, where the dual vocals are particularly effective. Overall, I enjoyed this an introduction to Murder in the Red Barn, and hopefully will hear more of them in the future.