Witches – Album Sampler
Within The Woods 2007
I first came across Witches when I heard their single, Taking Myself Home Again, streaming on an Oxford promoter’s Myspace profile. I was entranced and vowed to investigate further. Some weeks passed then, to my delight, this sampler from their forthcoming debut full length, arrived completely unprompted, complete with artwork and neatly presented press-pack. A somewhat different affair from the delicate and introspective Taking Myself Home Again, the songs here are denser, grander, and lyrically darker - even slightly foreboding. Multiple Personality Disorder kicks things off, setting the scene with slow jazzy riffs and sleazy trumpet licks. Mournful, slightly cynical vocals further add to the downtrodden mood and give off a strong Tom Waits vibe of drunken late-night liaisons and relationships gone awry. The rich multi-layered Josef’s Lament follows with gentle vocals riding atop a wave of synths and subtle guitar work detailed with dainty glockenspiel. Again, bold blasts of trumpet sound off, forming what becomes a distinguishing feature of their songs.
Summer Afternoon takes centre spot, with lethargic vocals matching a laidback melody. At 3:20 it is the longest track on the EP. Remarkably, for such short songs, the instrumentals are well developed and a dominant feature of each track. Between vocal passages they flourish and soar, benefiting from six members all utilising and contributing a range of different instruments, and influences that range from T Rex to Sigur Ros to Idlewild. Generally, the short song length does not seem to hold them back however, when it comes to closer Putting You Back In The Ground, the opportunity to spread their wings a little lengthwise is frustratingly not taken up, and the record ends disappointingly abruptly. That said, the songs contained on this sampler all show great promise and point to an enchanting album to come. Look out for it in July, released on the band’s own, cleverly named, label Within The Woods.