Sunset Rubdown Understanding Their Gloom Takes Effort

12/23/08 12:46pm

by Alyssa Noel (CHARTattack)

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but that adage clearly doesn't apply to album art.

On the back of Random Spirit Lover, the new Sunset Rubdown disc slated to be released Oct. 9, there's a photo of a devil-like beast with a green wrinkled sneer, curled horns and twisted claws. This terrifying creature speaks volumes about the songs within the jewel case.

"There's definitely some dark moments," admits guitarist Michael Doerksen. "There was a lot of talk of horror movies when we were recording it, so we were in that zone."

In "The Courtesan Has Sung," one of the strongest tracks, Spencer Krug's unmistakable yelp surmises, "Morticians must have took you for a whore."

But characteristically for Krug, the unsettling lyrics are delivered with such deadpan that you hardly notice their morbidity.

Darkness aside, the album is wholly inaccessible to the average listener who plans to jump through it on their iPod. It takes work to enjoy and Doerksen is proud of that.

"I think it's a little demanding, a little grating," he says. "A record like that is my favourite kind... It takes a little effort on the part of the listener."

This Listen Up article is from the October 2007 issue of Chart Magazine. You can purchase the issue in the Chart Shop.