Coyote Kid (formerly Marah in the Mainsail) has been slowly crafting an expansive universe that could easily rival most blockbuster movie franchises. Starting with 2015's debut Thaumatrope, the band has grown from an indie folk/folk-rock group with a gothic tinge and a healthy respect for murder ballads to the cinematic alt-rock juggernaut we have before us. If you aren't up-to-date on the current Coyote Kid cannon, Bone Crown left us standing in a wasteland of a former forest that was burnt by a tyrannical king. Now several years after that apocalyptic event, The Skeleton Man tells the story of a group assembling to reclaim a dark world that is overrun by these monstrous, flesh-eating creatures.
The band wastes no time throwing you into the world with the album's opening monologue, "The New Dark Age." Instantly, you can feel the upgrade in production and vision from previous works. This is now a world you are stepping into and living within instead of listening to someone tell you about it. Frontman Austin Durry's trademark howl combines with the sweet and soulful crooning from keyboardist and vocalist Cassandra Valentine for the explosively seductive "Femme Fatale." Here, you are introduced to the story's protagonist the Coyote Kid, a scientist named the Medicine Crow, and the Coyote Kid's younger brother the Bloodhound. Thankfully, once you know most of the characters, deciphering the album's plot doesn't require intensive analysis and/or English degree (I'm looking at you David Comes to Life).
The Skeleton Man's spaghetti western influence works its way into each song to create a wild and unforgiving landscape. With "Prowler," you learn about the plague creatures that threaten the world. A distorted trombone played by John Baumgartner acts like growls which pursue each lyrical phrase. "Strange Days" sets the stakes as the Bloodhound begins to succumb to the plague. You feel the band begins to lose control and reality begin to warp as his disease progress. "Dark Science" turns frantic as you learn how the Crow wants to push all ethical limits to find a cure at all costs, and "Electric Lover" uses the mechanical click, rhythm, and chime of a music box to punctuate that the Crow views life as her personal plaything.
Even with the album being told through this adventurous western influence, Coyote Kid pushes their own musical boundaries on this record. They make nods to their folk roots on songs like "Vision in Black" and "Skeleton Man," embrace their punk sensibilities on tracks like "Tough Kids," and even write their own version of a pop song with "Backbone." The Skeleton Man is dense without becoming tiring or feeling like they are spreading themselves too thin.
I personally have a love-hate relationship with concept albums. They can force the band to limit the weight of certain songs to play up later dramatic moments. While I love focusing on an album as a whole, not being able to pick a random song out of the order and play it as is can be a major bummer. That being said, Coyote Kids does an amazing job riding that incredibly difficult line. Songs like "Femme Fatale," "Strange Days," or even "Skeleton Man" hit hard on there own yet hit that much harder within the context of the record.
With The Skeleton Man, the band has finally given the tour de force that they have been striving for. Coyote Kid took what they accomplished on Bone Crown and expanded it to create the world and the narrative we have on The Skeleton Man.
The Skeleton Man by Coyote Kid is out now. Go pick up a physical copy or stream it on Spotify using the link below.
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