Perhaps the most unorthodox record of this year, ‘Funeral Car’ is a stunning piece of work. It’s difficult to describe it, pigeonhole it and even take it all in during one sitting, but it’s an incredible record. The vision and craft is exemplorary, with vocals alternating from the smooth, ghostly dulect tones of Matt Carrillo, to a harsh, screaming effect which haunts yet envigorates. Desert City Soundtrack are no average band and while this will bamboozle more people than it reaches, you cannot fail to admire this record. It’s beautiful.
From the haunting opening of ‘My Hell’, which really does sound like a song to complement a funeral, to the closing strains of ‘Westpoint’, this is amazing. ‘Drowning Horses’ is phenomenal and lyrically amazing. Lines such as “I knew you were going to be the death of me, there’s no medicine that could cure me right now,” are played over a haunting riff which compels. ‘Drawn and Quartered’ is better still, by the end the song is so psychotic you fear for the health of the band members. With ‘Dying Dawn’ more composed, ‘Take You Under’ is as morbid a song as you can get, but that’s half of the appeal.
Things get better still during the second half of the record, even if the depressing factor gets turned up tenfold. ‘These Games We Play’ is lyrically amazing, if “Why won’t i let you pull the stitches from my wrists, like i’ve let you do so many times before?” doesn’t get you, “don’t throw me against the wall you hold my throat so i can’t breathe, so i won’t breathe,” probably will. Every sing has so much depth it’s impossible to go into fully, it’s something you just have to do yourself. ‘Casket’ is fantastic and ‘Something About A Ghost’ really hammers home the sense of loss that the record emphasises throughout.
With beautiful arrangements, haunting piano-led sequences and a sombre tone which often makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, ‘Funeral Car’ is an astounding record. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that goes on for almost 50 minutes, but the thrill and exilarating rush you get from the end is well worth the ride.
Paul