MURDER MURDER - WICKED LINES AND VEINS
2017 - Self Released
I drove a 400 mile round trip either side of the late May Bank Holiday 2016 to see Murder Murder play in a pub in Exmouth on what was the most memorable weekend of the year, both musically and weather wise! From memory it was past 10-00 p.m before they got started because of a festival in the town and initially the 'crowd' was sparse and unresponsive but it wasn't long before the incredibly exuberant music was drawing more and more people into the pub and when they finally finished playing, well past midnight, no one in that packed pub wanted that incredible evening to end.
I've told that story to try to illustrate the addictive quality of this bands music and performances. They weren't put off by the initial lack of enthusiasm, in fact as one band member told me afterwards, they looked on it as a challenge and one that they won hands down in the end. They are an unusual band in as much as whilst the fire and passion may be there for all to witness when playing live it actually comes across on their recordings as well, with this tremendous album being their third full length release, all of them absolutely essential listening. I wrote a 'rave' review of their previous album 'From the Stillhouse' a disc that quite comfortably found its way into my top half dozen albums of 2015 and even at this relatively early stage I wouldn't be a bit surprised if 'Wicked lines and veins heads in a similar direction. In fact, having just re read the review virtually everything I wrote about that recording can be applied to this one, with the obvious exception of the songs!
Despite much that has been written about this tremendous band I still don't see them purely as a 'bluegrass' band. I would think that any died in the wool bluegrass fan that hears any of their albums will be a little shell shocked as well as being impressed. Certainly they are quite capable of playing at break neck speed with the 'best' of them but there is also subtlety along with the fire, passion and a high degree of skill but what sets them apart from most bluegrassers is their originality! Their music is rooted in all sorts of mayhem from murderous intent, actual murder and suicide, in fact anything that involves violent death but whilst thematically incredibly dark, their music is also uplifting. Nothing is held back. They attack every song as if it is the last they will ever play; even the slow mournful ballads are full of passion, incredible playing and evocative vocals.
The six man lineup remains the same; that is Jon Danyliw on vocals, guitar and Mandolin, Sam Cassio, vocals, guitar and mandolin, Geoff McCausland on fiddle,
Barry Miles, vocals, banjo and dobro, Kris Dickson plays upright Bass and Steph Duchesne on percussion with songwriting being shared between Danyliw, Miles and Cassio as are the lead vocals.
It's difficult, in fact almost impossible to pick individual song highlights; all are incredibly strong with the only lyrical variations being in the dramatic content, although none lack drama! The Sharecropper's son opens with a short banjo intro that is soon joined by fiddle, heavy booming percussion and Jon Danyliw's expressive lyrics and vocals. It is an intensely dramatic song that includes some lovely mandolin invasions and some equally excellent band harmonies and guitar. As we progress through the song the drama intensifies as do Jon's vocals and there are some unusual instrumental breaks that allow the song to build to a quite spectacular crescendo before falling back again. A chiming banjo, fiddle, bass and percussion introduce The last daughter along with Sam Cassio's vocals which show a little restraint on yet another excellent song, with a nice banjo break that roots the song with an old timey/hillbilly atmosphere, or at least a modern updated version of it! There are some excellent band harmonies and a gorgeous mandolin break followed by fiddle emphasizing the playing and arranging skills of this virtuosic band of which it is an insult to merely label as 'bluegrass.' On the title track Wicked lines and veins, a slow atmospheric banjo gets things underway with percussion, guitar and dobro on a Barry Miles penned and sung song with some excellent harmonies from the band and some lovely mandolin. This is another song that has an old timey atmosphere, but one that conjures up the mid 19th century civil war era between the north and south, not so much lyrically as in the incredibly 'old,' slightly otherworldly atmosphere. There is a lovely dobro intro on I've always been a gambler that is soon joined by percussion, banjo, mandolin and Barry Miles evocative lead vocal, with some excellent band harmonies on another song that seems rooted in old timey but with a very modern update. As with most of the eleven songs on this incredible recording there is a total lack of polish, with the raw, fiery atmosphere providing much of the atmosphere that sets them apart and above most of their peers. The death of Waylon Green gets off to a slow start with guitar, dobro and fiddle with the banjo joining in on another dramatic tale that is full of intensity and an almost unbearable sense of dramatic sadness on a tale on which there is no redemption for anyone. If ever a murder ballad had a cinematic quality it has to be this one! Finally, on Abilene there is a slow moody start with dobro, banjo and guitar supported by the throbbing bass and Sam Cassio's vocals. As with most songs this one has a memorable melody, with dobro interjections and a lovely flowing fiddle break adding colour to another sad but excellent song and one that proves the band can shine just as brightly when using restraint as they can when playing with fire and fury!
Regardless of who is responsible for any particular song there is a huge amount of craft and invention in all of the songwriting and the arrangements of instrumentation on this album that is awash with originality, often frenetic but always virtuosic playing, evocative vocals and a dramatic intensity that few if any can match. Many bands have 'flattened out' by the release of their third album, but not Murder Murder. After two great albums they have followed up with a recording that continues to push forward their invention and quality into areas where no one else has dared to go, stretching generic boundaries and following their own unique muse wherever it takes them. Hopefully that journey will and certainly should take them to worldwide acclaim.
https://murdermurder.net/
I drove a 400 mile round trip either side of the late May Bank Holiday 2016 to see Murder Murder play in a pub in Exmouth on what was the most memorable weekend of the year, both musically and weather wise! From memory it was past 10-00 p.m before they got started because of a festival in the town and initially the 'crowd' was sparse and unresponsive but it wasn't long before the incredibly exuberant music was drawing more and more people into the pub and when they finally finished playing, well past midnight, no one in that packed pub wanted that incredible evening to end.
I've told that story to try to illustrate the addictive quality of this bands music and performances. They weren't put off by the initial lack of enthusiasm, in fact as one band member told me afterwards, they looked on it as a challenge and one that they won hands down in the end. They are an unusual band in as much as whilst the fire and passion may be there for all to witness when playing live it actually comes across on their recordings as well, with this tremendous album being their third full length release, all of them absolutely essential listening. I wrote a 'rave' review of their previous album 'From the Stillhouse' a disc that quite comfortably found its way into my top half dozen albums of 2015 and even at this relatively early stage I wouldn't be a bit surprised if 'Wicked lines and veins heads in a similar direction. In fact, having just re read the review virtually everything I wrote about that recording can be applied to this one, with the obvious exception of the songs!
Despite much that has been written about this tremendous band I still don't see them purely as a 'bluegrass' band. I would think that any died in the wool bluegrass fan that hears any of their albums will be a little shell shocked as well as being impressed. Certainly they are quite capable of playing at break neck speed with the 'best' of them but there is also subtlety along with the fire, passion and a high degree of skill but what sets them apart from most bluegrassers is their originality! Their music is rooted in all sorts of mayhem from murderous intent, actual murder and suicide, in fact anything that involves violent death but whilst thematically incredibly dark, their music is also uplifting. Nothing is held back. They attack every song as if it is the last they will ever play; even the slow mournful ballads are full of passion, incredible playing and evocative vocals.
The six man lineup remains the same; that is Jon Danyliw on vocals, guitar and Mandolin, Sam Cassio, vocals, guitar and mandolin, Geoff McCausland on fiddle,
Barry Miles, vocals, banjo and dobro, Kris Dickson plays upright Bass and Steph Duchesne on percussion with songwriting being shared between Danyliw, Miles and Cassio as are the lead vocals.
It's difficult, in fact almost impossible to pick individual song highlights; all are incredibly strong with the only lyrical variations being in the dramatic content, although none lack drama! The Sharecropper's son opens with a short banjo intro that is soon joined by fiddle, heavy booming percussion and Jon Danyliw's expressive lyrics and vocals. It is an intensely dramatic song that includes some lovely mandolin invasions and some equally excellent band harmonies and guitar. As we progress through the song the drama intensifies as do Jon's vocals and there are some unusual instrumental breaks that allow the song to build to a quite spectacular crescendo before falling back again. A chiming banjo, fiddle, bass and percussion introduce The last daughter along with Sam Cassio's vocals which show a little restraint on yet another excellent song, with a nice banjo break that roots the song with an old timey/hillbilly atmosphere, or at least a modern updated version of it! There are some excellent band harmonies and a gorgeous mandolin break followed by fiddle emphasizing the playing and arranging skills of this virtuosic band of which it is an insult to merely label as 'bluegrass.' On the title track Wicked lines and veins, a slow atmospheric banjo gets things underway with percussion, guitar and dobro on a Barry Miles penned and sung song with some excellent harmonies from the band and some lovely mandolin. This is another song that has an old timey atmosphere, but one that conjures up the mid 19th century civil war era between the north and south, not so much lyrically as in the incredibly 'old,' slightly otherworldly atmosphere. There is a lovely dobro intro on I've always been a gambler that is soon joined by percussion, banjo, mandolin and Barry Miles evocative lead vocal, with some excellent band harmonies on another song that seems rooted in old timey but with a very modern update. As with most of the eleven songs on this incredible recording there is a total lack of polish, with the raw, fiery atmosphere providing much of the atmosphere that sets them apart and above most of their peers. The death of Waylon Green gets off to a slow start with guitar, dobro and fiddle with the banjo joining in on another dramatic tale that is full of intensity and an almost unbearable sense of dramatic sadness on a tale on which there is no redemption for anyone. If ever a murder ballad had a cinematic quality it has to be this one! Finally, on Abilene there is a slow moody start with dobro, banjo and guitar supported by the throbbing bass and Sam Cassio's vocals. As with most songs this one has a memorable melody, with dobro interjections and a lovely flowing fiddle break adding colour to another sad but excellent song and one that proves the band can shine just as brightly when using restraint as they can when playing with fire and fury!
Regardless of who is responsible for any particular song there is a huge amount of craft and invention in all of the songwriting and the arrangements of instrumentation on this album that is awash with originality, often frenetic but always virtuosic playing, evocative vocals and a dramatic intensity that few if any can match. Many bands have 'flattened out' by the release of their third album, but not Murder Murder. After two great albums they have followed up with a recording that continues to push forward their invention and quality into areas where no one else has dared to go, stretching generic boundaries and following their own unique muse wherever it takes them. Hopefully that journey will and certainly should take them to worldwide acclaim.
https://murdermurder.net/