Murder by Death Brings Beautifully Haunting Imagery to ‘Big Dark Love’

The album cover of American alt-country group Murder by Death’s latest release depicts a winter-cold, rocky marsh that stretches all the way to a cloudy, gray horizon. The last glow of pink sunset light peeks through the sky as the shadowy clouds close in, promising nightfall. The hauntingly beautiful image transports listeners to the perfect mood setting for the mature and pensive “Big Dark Love,” Murder by Death’s seventh studio album that has a release date of Feb. 3, 2015. Wrapped up in a shroud of Southern Gothic sound, the darkness alluded to in the title does not seem gloomy, but rather lends the record a sense of mystery, depth and seriousness.

After 15 years of cranking out edgy, Americana roots rock, the five-piece based out of Bloomington, Indiana deserves to be taken seriously. The band even crowd-sourced “Big Dark Love” with over $250,000 in pre-orders from their devoted fan base to keep front man Adam Turla’s talent for baritone story-telling in service. Turla’s rich vocals play a particularly outstanding role in the 10 tracks this time around. His voice rings out deep and vulnerable, like Johnny Cash but with a little edge of punk rock license for tracks such as the angst-ridden little anthem that opens the record, “I Shot an Arrow.” One of the few moments on the record that scream for an audience sing-along, the opener kicks the album into gear with a full show of instruments backing the fervent lyrics including a spunky horn section, playful keyboards and of course Sarah Balliet’s staple cello.

Although “I Shot an Arrow” is a great fist-pumping start, the haunting title track is much more representative of the rest of the record. A slow and eerie ballad, the song “Big Dark Love” will send shivers down your spine with its brutally honest telling of just how dangerous love can be. Even with the lush symphony of guitar and cello music in the background, it is dark even for a band named after a 1976 mystery film about murder. “Dream in Red,” immediately follows with a cryptic, Western ghost story that questions the distinction between dreams and reality.

The record continues to travel down a dusky road of beautiful yet haunting turns like the lonely, soul-searcher “Solitary One,” and the agony of unrequited romance in the gut-wrenching howls of “Hunted.” However, Murder by Death offers listeners a golden ray of light at the end of the tunnel. The record’s penultimate song, “It Will Never Die,” starts out solemn and pensive with a lone guitar line ringing pensively, only to break through to a crashing wall of bluegrass sound reminiscent of a Mumford and Sons folk anthem. “It will never die,” Turla sings emotively, “It can only go home.”

Murder by Death’s latest covers night and day, but seems to have the most to say about dusk. The veteran alt-rockers’ standout track “Send Me Home” is one of the best demonstrations of their comfort at the point where the sun sends its farewell with a beautiful sunset before night fully descends. The end-of-an-era lamentation uses sustained pipe organ notes and shimmering guitars grapple with mortality and being at peace in one’s place in the world. It is about as serious as it gets, and what should be expected from the folk veterans who have earned the right to be taken seriously on their seventh record.

Murder by Death’s “Big Dark Love” will be released on Feb. 3.