A Country Western are back, and they've got a new album on the way. The Philly crew announced Audition Tape today, out next month, and lead track "Blood Eagle" is a stunner. If you've followed this band since their split with They Are Gutting A Body Of Water, you know the drill: noise-streaked hooks, melody clawing through the grit, songs that lodge in your skull.
This time they linked up with producer Dan Angel, who also worked on Lotto by their old split partners. That connection feels right. The sound is dense and bruised but never loses the tune underneath.
"Blood Eagle" is all forward motion, a killer of a track that rides its tension without ever letting go. It's the kind of moment that makes you want the full record immediately.
A Country Western have always understood how to weld beauty to chaos. Audition Tape looks set to push that further. Mark the date. This one's shaping up to be a real ripper.