Ethereal, ghostly, otherworldly; the plaudits headed Esben And The Witch’s way since the release of ‘Marching Song’ earlier this year have been pretty unrelenting. Underpinned by bleak, swirling guitar atmospherics and Rachel Davies’ haunting vocal, ‘Violet Cries’ is the fully-blown realisation of the band’s noir core.
Layered, expansive and driven by the kind of shadowy dynamics Portishead might call their own, Esben And The Witch display an effortless aptitude for creating a sense of drama and intrigue. Like following a serial killer’s trail of devastation, you’re gripped until the end, no matter how grisly the conclusion. Bewitching.
8/10
Words by Reef Younis
