True Widow : "Avvolgere"

Going into their new album the Texas trio returns with more of a rumble. They are not at the same hesitant pace of their last album. The opener carries more of a lumbering grunge laden saunter. They remind me more of Nirvana than anything slow-core or doomy on "Theurgist". When I say Nirvana here, I suppose "Been A Son" might be a fair reference point, though they have a much thicker bass sound. There is a dreamier, almost shoe-gaze like feeling to the song that follows. Dynamically it is more of a lateral move. "The Trapper and the Trapped" finds the vocals being split with Nicole as they wander into a direction that feels more like over driven indie rock. The lazy vocal refrain gives the song more guidance.

"OOTPV" brings a better balance of song writing and the fuzzy sludged out rocking that they give their own opium induced spin on. The melody is pretty persistent, with what they are doing infectious would be reaching. The drone still keeps you engaged. "Entheogen" another song that is much closer to indie rock than anything doomy. This album sounds great, with some excellent guitar tones captured here. Nicole takes over the vocals on the more acoustic based beginnings of "To All That He Elong" which gives the song more of an older Chelsea Wolfe feel. The pace picks up for the darker and more driving "Sante". This finds Nicole in a more Kim Gordan inspired role. Things get pretty dense here and it's hard to tell where the bass begins and the guitar ends. "Grey Erasure" walks pretty similar ground as "Sante" the main difference being the fact the vocals are handed back off to Phillips. "What Finds Me" closes the album with a darker surf rock guitar tone. Nicole's vocals tend to haunt the backdrop rather than claim the spot light as they did earlier in the album. There is some interesting production going on here as it feels like the song has a crunchy lo-fi center while being surround by an outside layer of atmosphere.

I like this album, I'm not blown away by it. The band accomplished what they set out to do. If you are attached to their more doom like side then you might find yourself having a similar reaction to mine. If this is your entry point with this band then you won't know any different. I'll still give this one a 8.5 an see how it sits with me. Right now I am not feeling like I'll need urgent return visits, but it's too soon to say. This album comes out September 23rd.