In Bocca Al Lupo

Murder by Death | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 23, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Tent Show
• ASIN: B000F3AJN0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,767 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Indiana's Murder By Death layer the vocal sounds of an old saloon with the haunting strings of a Hungarian folk dance and the hard driving rhythms of pure rock 'n' roll, producing lush, orchestrated songs somehow simultaneously reminiscent of Johnny Cash and Radiohead. Added to that thick and intriguing sound are a series of dark and ironic lyrics, combining the mood and tone of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds with the narrative force of The Decemberists or a short story by Nathanial Hawthorne. This record examines themes of sin, transgression, punishment, and redemption, touching on different lives and different stories in each song.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not as exciting but still amazing, June 1, 2006

By 

PolarisDiB "dibness" (Southwest, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Bocca Al Lupo (Audio CD)

First things first: Johnny Cash. With Cash-like lyrics, Cash-like singing, and a song called "Sometimes the Line Walks You," there's just no way to write a review of this album without mentioning his name. So this album is kind of like their loving homage to Johnny Cash, methinks, and the very folky country style music and singing throughout it constantly brings that thought back to mind. Unfortunately for Murder by Death, it makes me want to stop the album and go listen to an actual Cash album. Not a good thing.

Otherwise though, it's a very strong and well-made album. I want to say that it's not as good as their others, but I've listened to it twice already and both times I heard completely different things in the songs, so while the other albums made me literally crave for more over and over again, this one still asks me sensibly to keep returning to it and listen to it again. As an album, I'm not as keen about listening to the whole thing... things start off pretty slowly until about the fourth song, and then all the songs after that just keep increasing in quality.

I would love to say that I love it completely or that I like it but it's not their best and thus I only like it, not love it, but neither are really true. It certainly is different... so far all three of Murder by Death's albums sound pretty much different, even though the latter two have a distinct feel of the desert in them. It's just that Who Will Survive and What Will be Left of Them? runs a constant war narration while In Bocca al Lupo is earthy spice-of-life vignettes... though both analyze themes of sin and punishment.

One thing can be said definitely: whichever of the band members or whoever actually writes the lyrics to these songs is a very strong poet, and that makes me happy.

--PolarisDiB

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone is always leery of concept albums..., May 23, 2006

By 

J. Cacciola "GWP" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Bocca Al Lupo (Audio CD)

but it seems Murder by Death have made a career of them. Two of their three LPs have been just that. We're talking about the devil here, and that's how MbD deals, ya hear? Good.
Murder by Death have abandoned those crazy, five to seven word song titles (that didn't really have much to do with the actual song) in favor of simpler, more fitting titles for their new album, In Bocca al Lupo.

Sarah Balliet does the work of two men (or women), playing the keyboard and cello, sometimes simultaneously on the record. The first track that really stuck me was "Dead Men and Sinners." This is an amazing song, with clanking sounds of chains an anchor (possibly) with an additional vocalist in the background.
The first half of the album continues to rock and move along swiftly. The first half (or first seven songs) are extremely abrupt and end that way as well. The second half seems to take a quieter approach, much slower with less instrumentation that allows more time for the instruments to unwind to an end instead of just stopping suddenly. I might mention that these latter tracks carry a sort of "Three Men Hangin'" approach if you want to compare.

The album appears to be broken apart in this way, separating the loud from the quiet, emphasizing variety. There's more acoustic guitar throughout on tracks like "The Organ Grinder," "Shiola," "Steam Rising," etc. etc. In fact, that's the primary instrument besides cello. Sarah plays some keyboards throughout, but you mainly hear the humming, echoing sounds of an organ.
The band was even bold enough to utilize a trumpet on "The Organ Grinder," "Sometimes The Line Walks You," "The Big Sleep," to throw some ska-like sounds in the mix in addition to all of the folk rock. "The Big Sleep" is actually a redone, shorter version of "The End of the Road," which you might remember from The Masters of Horror soundtrack.

Adam sounds like himself throughout (a bit gruff but competent); I was really surprised how loud he got on "Sometimes The Line Walks You." He even throws some spoken word monologue in there. It made for an interesting listen.

I was waiting for the song that blew me away at Villanova University last year, and it came at track eight. "Raw Deal" may be the best track on here, building slowly and then releasing a little over the halfway point. Bassist Matt Armstrong adds some neat effects that really enhance the flow and sound. It's brilliant and even better live.

The weakest song here is probably "Shiola," but that's not saying much in terms of the negative, because it's still a nice addition to the record. The concluding track, "The Devil Drives," is kind of jazzy, dance-folk with a long drawn out finale. It could have been spiced up a bit more, but I still think it's quite nice. Alex Schrodt adds some light, interesting touches with his drums and percussion throughout.

In Bocca al Lupo is not perfect, but it's damn close. It's an album to enjoy immediately and also savor over a period of time. It has just about everything. It is definitely the best of the year so far. Pick it up.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Bocca al Lupo, June 12, 2006

By 

Alden Horrow "Alden" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Bocca Al Lupo (Audio CD)

Before I bought this CD, I was wondering whether or not it could stand up to Murder By Death's previous releases, which have found a permanent place on my favorites list. Almost right away I took to this album, with a newfound respect for the band. "In Bocca al Lupo" is completely atmospheric, combining a sort of indie rock feel with a folk music theme, creating something brilliantly unique. Straying slightly from the structure of "Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them", it touches on the tale of different people on every song, rather than telling one story throughout the entire record. Their sound has progressed into a country/folk style, or at least moreso than on the last album, with the addition of a small horns section. The songwriting is stronger than ever, with beautiful lyrics that read like stories, desplaying a high level of craftmanship. Listening to the album is an experience in its own, and is completely worth the price. I can really tell they put their heart into this one, and this is exactly the album I was hoping to hear.