ALBUM REVIEW: Rake And Roads – Crawling for Carrion

UK based project CRAWLING FOR CARRION are ready to release their two-track debut, Rake And Roads, an EP consisting of covers. Their sludgy adaptations of Rake by TOWNES VAN ZANDT and Roads by PORTISHEAD. These new and interesting twists on very popular tracks shine a light on the inner workings of CRAWLING FOR CARRION and the perspectives they have.

The first of two, Rake, has a completely different tone to the original. The down tuned fuzzfest turns a nostalgic track into a melancholic one, with just a dash of contempt from the vocals. In terms of a cover, it hits all the notes perfectly but with their own twist and styling, effectively making this a note for note sludged up cover. For those familiar with the original, you know what to expect overall.

The introduction to Roads starts in a similar way as the original, however it is slowed right down as the overall pace of the track grinds down to a slower, more lethargic pace. The downtuned guitars, with screeching harmonics to complement it, groaning and trudging its way through the dense riffs. It takes an additional twenty seconds for the vocals by the formidable Chantal Brown of VODUN to kick in, but they certainly ramp up the energy levels to newer heights. Throughout the track, every vocal from Chantal is spectacular, wonderfully assisted by the trippy and psychedelic guitar-work to boot. Not only that, but somehow it still retains its trip-hop edge that the original does.

Simply put, this EP, while covers rather than original tracks, are fantastically composed and feature many talented artists on an interesting project. Both tracks keep the sentiment of the originals but also manage to twist and weave enough of their own sound in to metamorphose into something beautiful. Of the two, Roads seems to be the strongest, at least on an emotional level. Overall Rake And Roads is a cracking EP and a solid entry point to get their foot in the door for CRAWLING FOR CARRION.

Rating: 9/10

Rake And Roads is out now via Giganto Records. 

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