Married couple Christa Meyer and Tim Kelley met by chance in the street, which only goes to prove the age-old parental warning. They’re both a bit warped, but largely in a good way. Their well-received previous album was conceived as a ‘lost original soundtrack’ to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (set in the fictional Muerto County btw) and was performed accompanying the film at the Barbican no less. This gatefold double LP is their final tribute inspired by that film. They’re based in Chicago and Louisiana, but it’s the deeply twisted south that you all’ll be hearing here.

Their MySpace page has them sounding like ‘making love with a soft corduroy couch’. Personally I wouldn’t know, but my mind pictures a kind of country folk White Stripes with Ms. Meyer taking over vocal duties (except for the slightly south of the border “Where You Stand” and gentle strum “Cold Night”) over economic but punchy drums and generally lone guitar. Suitably creepy, their dark sense of humour infects their musical style and lyrics. At times rough and punky, at others Meyer sounds like a late 60s flower child talking to the plants and animals. While speaking about soundtracks, David Lynch could be a future client, and I was also struck by how some songs sounded like they could have been lifted from an Americana remake of The Wicker Man. Imagine a bloodied Karen Carpenter up to her knees in a swamp, warbling disarmingly after already having disposed of Burt Bacharach’s body. Only later did I discover that their record label had originally suggested they re-do that film’s soundtrack before they themselves opted for something closer to home. Maybe I’m getting better at this reviewing lark.

Only “Orange Foundation” is explicit: “You can make a man bleed but your knife is rusty / What have you got but a mess on your hands” set to a bare off-kilter waltz. The rest is atmospheric, but by no means is this a novelty outing – there are good tunes that stand alone. “Tread Lightly” could be sung from a rocking chair on the front porch, but you’d have second thoughts about accepting an invitation inside. You’ll be safe at home with this recording though. Just check behind the settee first – and take the phone off the hook.
72%

Links
Puerto Muerto [official site] [myspace]