Album Review: Lord Buffalo released timely debut LP Tohu Wa Bohu
Austin’s own Lord Buffalo released their new LP, a follow-up to their self-titled debut, Tohu Wa Bohu on March 13th, just as the world shifted to a place in which listening to relevant music as a form of therapy would hover atop everyone’s lists of prioritized tasks. It is a timely debut recording. The current mood of the world is matched in tone by the singular, mud folk outfit from the first notes of the eerie opening track, “Raziel,” an ambient and drone-y introduction of an album that feels tormented in the best possible way.
Released through Blues Funeral Recordings and recorded at Good Danny’s Recording Studio in Lockhart, Texas, Tohu Wa Bohu was produced by Danny Reisch (Chelsea Wolfe, Okkervil River) and mastered by Dave Shirk (Mastodon, Sun Ra).
Tohu Wa Bohu continues in an ominous and dark trajectory with the heavier, “Wild Hunt,” with loud, assertive piano, banging drums, shredding guitar. While maintaining the apparition-like vibe, the third track, “Halle Berry,” offers what is probably the catchiest number of the album.
“Heart Of The Snake” begins as a nostalgic, soft, piano-led melody and transitions into a bluesy composition reminiscent of a burning hot Texas sidewalk in July.
The interweaving of soft ambience, heavy instrumentation, and drone-y vocal delivery induces a magical sensation that is richly overwhelming, and captivating. One can easily imagine vocalist Daniel Jesse Pruitt engaging listeners like preaching to a congregation from a pulpit.
“Llano Estacado No. 2”, the closing track on the record speeds the pace for the album’s closing sprint, offering a fittingly inspiring closure to an orchestra of impending doom.
It is difficult to pin down Lord Buffalo to any specific sub genre of rock music; their sound is a thoroughly dynamic combination of folk, metal, punk and ambient.
Forming in 2012 with Garrett Hellman (guitar/organ), Patrick. Patterson (violin), Yamal Said (drums), and Daniel Jesse Pruitt (vocals/guitar) released several EPs previously. With Tohu Wa Bohu, the group has created a hauntingly-appropriate soundtrack for our modern dystopian time. Uniquely unforgettable, it is a musical encounter to revisit frequently.
Lord Buffalo’s scheduled April 4th show at Barracuda was unfortunately cancelled due to coronavirus concerns, but you can catch them performing their new song “Halle Berry” via NPR Live Sessions.
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