On its fifth studio album, Fairytales and Other Forms of Suicide, Chapel Hill’s The Old Ceremony digs deeper and stretches its sound a little farther, exploring a clouded realm of instrumentation mixed with pensive lyrics.
While the band still centers on some of the lyrical expected themes (such as relationships), The Old Ceremony brings a subtle, yet driving harshness that’s hard hitting. It should be clear this isn’t going to be your normal collection of fairy tales.
The band’s inclination for non-traditional instruments like violins and horns on its otherwise rock albums has helped to define the musical style and remains a noticeable element on Fairytales.
But this time, the band has no hesitation in crafting an album surrounded by a delightfully mysterious and folk-influenced feel, a distinct departure from some of the band’s more jangly pop releases.
From beginning to end, front man Django Haskins maintains suspicion with his pleasantly elusive vocals, as if he’s still hiding a few things up his sleeve. The album’s opener “Star by Star” is filled with dark and moody guitar, a growing crescendo of drums and eclectic textures. The band’s range of musical tendencies is demonstrated quickly as the first song fades into the quiet and ethereal strings of “Elsinore” with poise.
Next, it’s the album’s rumbling title track that snaps us back to reality. To a gnarling, beat-driven background, Haskins ruminates on life, and this time it’s about some of those pragmatic and even unhappy endings. Even with the track’s impassioned lyrical roar, it slides perfectly into the catchy, piano-guided song “Sink or Swim” where the album is brought to full bloom, just in time to sing along with the band’s irresistible harmonizing.
The Old Ceremony leaves listeners with a few upbeat songs that remind them of why they fell in love with the band in the first place.
Considering the way in which the group balances its already refined sound with some new folksy exploration, The Old Ceremony ensures its old-school rock tendencies are still evolving.
On Fairytales, the band has certainly struck a new chord, but still remains at the cusp of completely converting all listeners to their rock/pop breed.
But that’s not to forget the bigger strides the album has made in the ever-expanding sound of these Triangle favorites. Even if the songs are darker this time around, rest assured that The Old Ceremony’s already bright career will continue to shine.
Contact the desk editor at diversions@dailytarheel.com.
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