Super Natural History
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
Listen to Super Natural History
The Brooklyn residents Charming Disaster made me a fan years ago with their unique and always unpredictable version of goth-folk, and this 5th album thematically covers magic and science and welcomes guests to Jeff Morris and Ellia Bisker’s vision.
“Monsters” opens the listen with Rob Garcia’s thumping drums complementing Morris and Bisker’s inviting vocals in the cabaret influenced folk climate, and “Mold And The Metals” follows with a warm intimacy in between the stylish indie-rock that benefits much from Bob Smith’s skilled bass playing.
“Bat Song” occupies the middle spot, and showcases the poetic singing that’s harmonic, as the musicianship remains soft, mysterious even, while the upbeat and driving “Six Seeds” allows Bisker’s firm pipes to guide the scrappy folk-rocker.
“Manta Rays” and “Wrong Way Home” exit the listen, where the former illustrates spoken word that unfolds in an almost kindie-rock sort of way before setting into jangly territory, and the latter finishes with a lovely, acoustic guitar fueled duet that allows the pair’s expressive voices to really captivate the listener.
There is just no bad spot to start with in Charming Disaster’s catalog, and this is indeed another creative and glowing effort, where the natural world and metaphysical realm are explored with a murder ballad, folk noir and tense cabaret hybrid that no one else could replicate.
Travels well with: Curse Of Lono- Severed; Charming Disaster- Spells + Rituals