Drink, The Devil & The Dance, The

Right off it’s got that Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western sound and, eventually, there’s lots of horror movie, goth, Nick Cave stylings - but also has elements of folk, bluegrass, country, and blues. This is their second album and has instrumentation of acoustic guitar, standup bass, percussion, including hammer and chains!!!, violin, harmonica, horns, all of it sounding incredible alongside the alluring and alarming baritone lead and harmony vocals. Songs are about death, violence, loss, love. They hail from Australia and have been touring the globe with their very unique and macabre sound. Truly a great and fun band. No FCC’s.

*My Favorites*: All of ‘em.

1. (3:51) Mid. Big, slow, methodical trumpet with slowly strummed guitar sets an ominous mood to start. Then, full band including castanets, backing vocals. ‘We must all dance to the devil’s drum’.
2. (5:15) Mid. A cappella start, then plodding beat with harmonizing. Sparse with great lyrics about being bit by a dog. Very cool.
3. (3:22) Mid. Catchy with guitar, banjo, drums, backing vocals behind a slightly more than whispered lead vocal. Halloween-cum-horror movie song.
4. (4:34) Slow / Mid. Dark, echoey vibe. Guitar, cool percussion, banjo, backing vocals. Quick, suspenseful silence with 1:10 remaining.
5. (3:50) Mid. Upbeat yet dark running song. Country-tinged with banjo, percussion.
6. (4:07) Slow. Country folk dirge. Big backing vocals. Very sparse. Strummed guitar, steel guitar.
7. (5:47) Slow / Mid. Violin, banjo, percussion. Big Nick Cave sound, circa Henry’s Dream and Let Love In.
8. (3:07) Mid. Killer bass, killer mean vocals, great percussion. It’s spooky, ominous and joyful. Kick ass.
9. (5:24) Slow / Mid. Really has that Western Movie film sound, maybe an updated Peckinpah score. Slowed-down gallop, sparse with big backing vocals, banjo, guitar
10. (2:37) Mid. Stand-up bass intro with heavy percussion and banjo. Deeply dark, upbeat song about a train on fire with no way out.. Big Les Claypool sound. Killer, but quick steel guitar solo near end. Killer.
11. (3:54) Mid. Bluegrass banjo, violin, harmonica, intertwined with harmonies. Plodding beat, very cool.
12. (5:04) Slow. Funeral dirge. Slow strummed guitar, banjo, minimal percussion. Harmonies ensue as does a near-celebratory sound of the speaker’s death.
13. (3:55) Slow / Mid. Call-and-response lyrics with guitar, banjo backing it up. Cool harmonies then a beautiful harmonica solo and horn, with a full sound at the end. Very, very nice.