It’s hard not to feel the crackle of a pagan bonfire while listening to “Cedar Smoke,” one of the standout tracks from White Storm Falls. The debut by the Minnesota ensemble Blood And Sun, the album is steeped in a pastoral sorcery that draws together the more subdued side of Swans’ stentorian majesty and Death In June’s dark-folk thrum. With violin, cello, hammered dulcimer, and subtle, tribal percussion consuming the negative space around the acoustic guitar and cavernous lead vocals of Luke Tromiczak, “Cedar Smoke” evokes the ghosts of eons past—and the omen of flickering shadows to come.
White Storms Falls will be released on May 15 via Pesanta Urfolk.
Join the discussion...