From the Stillhouse

Hailing from the frozen forests of northern Ontario, Murder Murder describe themselves as a ‘bloodgrass’ band. Particularly interested in murder ballads and outlaws, they have written an album's worth of songs that explore the murky underside of their region, which has never been romanticised in the same way as the Wild West or even the Yukon during the Gold Rush.

Despite veering towards being a theme band, the subjects they reveal are enticing. Moonshiners and treacherous lovers are some of the characters we meet, weaving a wild image of this unsung part of the world.

Musically, Murder Murder are a fairly traditional bluegrass string band, with added percussion. This full texture, while rich, is rather unrelenting and leaves one craving more ebb and flow in the sound. The album is quite front-loaded, with some variety introduced towards the end as if it were an afterthought. But if it's a stomp through the shadier parts of Canadian history you’re after, then Murder Murder are the band for you.