I just got the new Black Heart Procession cd "The Spell" of of eMusic this morning and its amazing. Its been about 4 years since their last cd, I am glad it came out now because I need something good to listen to. If you are not familiar with BHP, they are a dark, brooding, funeral dirge with a melody. They have that 1800s drunken saloon sound mixed with a wide range of procussion instruments. The cd starts out with "Tangled" a haunting piano with swooping vocals and a bit of guitar. Track 2 "The Spell" isn't radio friendly but it has a bit more of a melody than most BHP songs. Track 3 "Not Just Words" is a perfect song to make it on the radio, I don't think 89x will play it but you would hear it on KEXP or WOXY for sure. The piano is a bit more upbeat with a bit of toe tapping going on. By track 5 it turns dark again, the minor chords and orchestration take over. Track 6 "Return To Burn" screams of a love lost and the agony that one bears. Track 8 "The Waiter #5" is a continuation of songs with the waiter as a title. Every album has one and I should go back and listen to all in order to see if it tells a story or not.

BHP is not a band you listen to every day, they are also not a quirky, flash in the pan either. Their style takes some getting used to, but once you get a taste you are hooked. I checked their website but not US tour dates as of yet but soon. I have never seen them live and would love to. I expect them to play the Magic Stick if they do a Detroit show and with them in Europe throughout May and part of June, it might be July-August before they make it here.