Reminiscent of Cave on "Tupelo" or David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower, there's something that brings to mind the hellfire and brimstone preacher on this record, with Munly's deep voice occasionally ranging high and the Lee Lewis Harlots' Rasputina-like strings and sometimes singsong backing vocals. Darkly sexual and occasionally violent, this album transports you to a different world.

Like watching a horror movie, part of the relief is that you can come out of the world of Munly's imagination. But like the best horror films, they make you enjoy it while you’re there. Munly's voice is oddly seductive, even when he's singing about punching a pregnant woman in the stomach.

The CD comes with a DVD, which includes lyrics to all the songs and Munly reading them as poems, and they stand up to the test. Each song is a narrative, with characters, plot, and resolution, and the lyrics are certainly worth looking at.

But what it all comes down to is the music. The strings are the standout feature of their music, and Munly is captivating and disturbing. If William Faulkner were writing today, he might have this record playing in the background.

www.smoochrecords.com/bands/munly.html

Sarah Jaffe, November 26, 2004