Midwife ; "Forever"

Here is an interring album by Denver based multi instrumentalist Madeline Johnston. She has more of an edge to her lyrics than the dreamy haze of the music she sings in a breathy tone over. Sonically falling somewhere between the slow core of bands like Low and the shoe gazing of the 80s. Not as dark as say Chelsea Wolfe. More like Cat Power on harder drugs. I often complain about bands having more focus on a sound than songs these days, but her sound works with the song. It's a simple drone , but catchy enough to keep my interest. There is a melancholy maze around the sentiments of keeping 2018 the fuck away from her. "Anyone Can Play Guitar" is not a Radiohead cover. It has more of a rock n roll shuffle to it. The guitar is strum with a grunge distortion not unlike many of the indie rock bands from the early 90s who were more rough around the edges than the indie rock of today.

"Vow" breezes past. It might as well have been the intro to the following song. Very minimalist arrangement. "Language" is almost to swept up in the wind of it's own atmosphere to be much of a song, yet stays pleasing to the ears . "C.R.F.W" focusing on what might be sample of a teenage reading from weird social speculation. It sounds like something William S Burroughs might have written, The kinds of tings I pondering when on a bunch of acid. Four and a half minutes later actual music begins to simmer to life. When it does come to life, it's idea of life is a droning pulse rather than creating an actual song. This is on the more experimental side of post -rock. If you smoke a ton of weed I am almost certain you will love this album.


The album closes with "S.W.I.M". This is closer to shoe gaze. A minimal programmed beat. The vocals are draped in effects that set them back into the mix. They still manage to hold melody. This melody is what makes this song work . I will round this down to an 8.5, as it could be more focused on the songs than the drone, but over all the album works for what she tried to accomplish here.  If can see the metal press giving this a nod as she throws the word metal around in describing her sound, but be forewarned if that is why you are interested , there is nothing metal about this. That's ok, there doesn't have to be just have reasonable expectations when you sit down to listen to it. Once again the Flenser proves themselves a label who delivers the goods. Different than their other artists , but she would be at home on a bill with any of her label mates.

Catching up with 2018 -Ebsen and the Witch : "Nowhere"

This is not our first rodeo with this British band. I do like the darker and more intense direction this album finds them going in. Even though there is the occasional blast beat as an accent it's not blackened anything. It's not metal. It's kind of like if you took the last Emma Ruth Rundle album and made it heavier and more somber. It starts off with a sonic drive that was looking in a metal direction without going there. This is not a bad thing it's a good thing as it stays true to their sound and allow Rachel Davies to give what sounds to be her most impassioned vocal performance on this album to date. While the compositions are often spacious and minimal when they do a sort of post rocky thing with dynamics and build it up they churn out a sound bigger than what you expect from a trio.

The second song is not as initially intense as the opener and took another listen for me to click with it 100 percent. Then " Golden Purifier"  is more atmosphere and kind of drifts , working more off  the mood. "the Unspoiled" finds the vocal lines returning to something with more to sink your teeth into. Thus making me as the listener feel more connected to it. The drums patter around things in the background rather than hitting you with a beat. So her voice much like many of Chelsea Wolfe's songs is the glue holding this one together. The lyrics are rather bleak and are about the earth crumbling away. The songs never really venture past the seven and a half minute mark so are more compactly written than the bulk of post-rock The guitars do gather some fuzz and density in places.

Much like the previous song "Seclusion" relies on the vocals for the glue. Musically the songs went from the heavier feel of the first two to taking on more of a restless drifting. They don't get back to the heavier place until the last song "Darkness". This has more of a pounding pulse while the emotive vocals yearn in the midst of it's storm. The drums continue on with the more tribal pounding. What works for this album is vocals and the melancholy mood this create which is one of those times when how you feel connects with the music you are listening to. I think the drumming could have locked in a little more rather than let everything float on the same dark waters with out course. In the end despite this there are enough elements that connect to make it work and the album create a cool mood so I'll round it up to a 9 though unless I am depressed not sure how many listens I'll get beyond the first two songs.