Esben and the Witch: A New Nature

They released their first two records on prestigious indie label Matador Records, but this über-serious Brighton trio have taken the independent route for their third. A New Nature was financed via crowdfunding site PledgeMusic, and saw them recording with Steve Albini in Chicago. Sadly, the calibre of producer makes no difference to the songs, which are uniformly drawn-out and unwittingly pretentious. Vocalist Rachel Davies breathily intones lyrics such as "The world is round" and "We bathe in light from the mouth of our gods" as her bandmates construct meandering, minimalist guitar riffs that unvaryingly burst into gurgling life. The punky No Dog is one of the few that gets to the point within a reasonable period of time, and Blood Teachings draws parallels with PJ Harvey's off-kilter rock rhythm. Generally, however, this is inexcusably dreadful stuff. esbenandthe witch.co.uk

Download: Blood Teachings