The Black Heart Procession

The Spell

[4/5] Listening to the Black Heart Procession is always kind of a bummer–which, ironically, is the point. Over the course of nine years and five albums, BHP ringleaders Pall Jenkins (vocals/guitar) and Tobias Nathaniel (piano/organ/guitar) have imbued the band’s music with an indelible sadness that, when combined with their typically languid tempos and Matt Resovich’s weeping violin, conjures the sort of ethereal mysticism that has won them many a fan. In that sense, The Spell is almost a confession of sorts. Bewitching from front to back, the album groans under the weight of despondent piano lines, high-tension guitar patterns and Jenkins’ hypnotic lyrics/vocals–all of which conspire to lull the listener into some sort of uneasy stasis. Which isn’t to say BHP are showing us the faces on their (tarot) cards; they’re merely calling a spade a spade.
(TOUCH AND GO) J. Bennett



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