Too old to fuck around, too young to die
To be perfectly honest, I really didn't like Murder By Death's new album "In Bocca al Lupo" the first time I heard it. Their last album, "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them?" is one of my all time favorites and my expectations were high. I think I was basically expecting "Who Will Survive, part 2" and when it was clear that that wasn't exactly what it was, I was disappointed. I had to put In Bocca al Lupo aside for a while and come back to it with fresh ears and fewer expectations before I could start to appreciate it on its own as something very different. It's certainly not a continuation, and I do miss the piano (they're now a 4-piece), but the songwriting is undeniably mature and the playing skilled.
The final straw came from seeing them play the new material live at the Knitting Factory earlier this evening at their CD release show. Hearing how well the new songs worked live mixed in alongside the older stuff has gotten me excited about really exploring the intricacies of the new album.
Pick it up from Insound and get Who Will Survive... while you're at it if you don't have it. Catch them live if you have the chance.