"Originally recorded in 2012, then regretfully buried for seven long years, this sad haunt of heartbreak’s past has finally been resurrected for a limited edition vinyl only release. Hear the agony and suffer alone forever." (Tribulation Recording Company)
Gothic Country, Dark Roots Music, Death Country, Gothic Western, Gothic Americana.... as usual labels are tossed and thrown about in careless abandon. All the above / None of the above - add a dash of Singer/Songwriter, Folk and a few other possibilities and instead of a category of musical brethren you have singled them out and left them stranded alone.
I stumbled upon them via Bandcamp. Something that is becoming quite a cliche in my world. YouTube helped this time around though as they rotated Those Poor Bastards into my recommended videos. Both bands are built around Lonesome Wyatt with Those Poor Bastards being heavier and louder (More on them at a later time).
I discovered more information on them and other great bands of similar bent on the websites: Gothic Western and Swedish Embassy of Gothic Country. Both are great sites and a lot of fun to delve into.
I ordered my copy of Agonizing Love as well as Those Poor Bastards Vicious Losers from the bands' label Tribulation Recording Company. The first hurdle was picking out the vinyl color I wanted. They appear to issue most, if not all, their vinyl on multiple colors including standard black. I picked Orange and Bone A/B.
It is striking to look at but better yet it sounds great. I am writing this after just a couple of listens so I'm not going to pick favorites or act like I am an expert on the album. I will say that after one time through I was anxious to drop the needle again. I will be keeping this one on frequent rotation for the foreseeable future. I will say of you only listen to one some make it the title track or Life is Lonely. Both of these tracks made me really pause and listen to them though I can't put my figure on why just yet and there will probably be more songs that speak to me as I get more familiar with the tunes.
I've been a fan of the darker side of music since.... birth. I'm surprised this particular vein of bands has evaded me over the years. I would have thought they would have more shared fans via Nick Cave, Harley Poe, Ritual Howls, BlackieBlueBird etc. which would have connected me to them sooner. Oh well - I am here at last with many albums to catch up on which is exciting, overwhelming, and motivating.
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