Sound Stage: Murder by Death

Lead by the mesmerizing vocals of Adam Turla, Murder by Death delivers a rare but welcome blend of folk and indie rock.

Occasionally my Spotify algorithm does me a real solid and suggests a band I'll end up loving. Most of time I give a song on their Discover Weekly playlist about 1.5 seconds before hitting skip. Murder by Death is an example of why I keep coming back to it even after Spotify hurts me over and over again (this is not healthy, I know).

I've got an appreciation for most indie rock, and some folk music. Not a ton of folk I suppose but it's a music genre I can get my kids to listen to that isn't that intense if we want to turn it on for breakfast or lunch. As I type this I realize it's getting harder and harder to not sound like one of those people who talks about their kids all the time. Going to chalk it up to part of life and if you were like me 10 years ago I'm sure you've already logged off so why am I going on and on? What the hell is wrong with me?

Pushing right on through the verbal diarrhea I get to the point that Murder by Death is a band that straddles a sound I've always loved and another that I'm now gaining an appreciation for.

It can be said about many bands but it's no less true here, the lead vocals tie this together but more specifically, the vocal pitch of front man Adam Turla. His deep barritone voice sounds like driving over smooth gravel. Tie that together with thoughtful and soulful lyrics and you've got a winning combination. He also looks like a dude right out of HBO's Deadwood so I'll probably always correlate him with Seth Bullock.

Thanks to him and the rest of the band for providing a true escape whenever I put them on the speaker.

Best Time to Listen

Drinking whiskey while applying to indeed.com postings.

Essential Tracks

1. Alas

2. Lost River

3. The Logical Song (Cover)

4. Comin' Home

5. Spring Break 1899