★★★☆☆
Things have gotten a whole lot darker and more measured for Melbourne alt-country duo The Weeping Willows since the release of their debut albumTill The North Wind Blows.
Not that they have ditched their rolling harmonies, twangy banjo or crafty storytelling. On the contrary, all these elements are wildly present on the self-produced Darkness Comes A-Callin’. However, it’s the undercurrent of bluegrass and gothic Americana that has changed. Once a gentle presence, their intensity has been kicked up a notch, making the pair’s second record a brooding, tortured look into life, love and loss.
The Weeping Willows is the project of couple Andy Wrigglesworth and Laura Coates, and they took three years to write Darkness Comes A-Callin’, adding a real sense of life lived to the record. This isn’t just some polished assemblage of radio-friendly choruses and neutered guitar work – this is an album of grit and violence, one that seizes listeners by the scruff of the neck and doesn’t let go. The standout track is the Robert Johnson-esque opener ‘Devil’s Road’, co-written with alt-blues songsmith Lachlan Bryan. Indeed, the piece is sprinkled with veteran session players and guest vocalists, adding a very significant layer of technical skill.
Such talent, all in all, helps to create what is a portentously atmospheric but polished record.
Darkness Comes A-Callin’byThe Weeping Willowsis released independently and available here.
