KILL DEVIL HILLS - Matango! LP

"Matango! is a triumphant return to the airwaves for The Kill Devil Hills following a lengthy intermission since their previous album, Pink Fit. Was it worth the wait? We most certainly believe so.

For those who may be unaware of The Kill Devil Hills, they are a band from Western Australia who play what has often been referred to as acoustic folk-rock. However, while this fits with some of their earlier music, it would be a travesty to encompass their sound with just this moniker. This is a band that has continued to evolve across their 20+ year existence.

The complexity and dynamic nature of the music they now produce almost belies true definition, much like the music catalogues of the likes of Nick Cave and Tom Waits. Perhaps alt-country meets folk rock meets noise rock meets art rock meets jam band could suffice?

As with many albums released in the last year or two, Matango! was borne out of the ashes of the Covid-19 pandemic, and sees the band at their creatively, and eclectic best.

Around four years in the making, the album opens with the darkly cinematic and dissonant Survivor Guilt followed by This Is Karrakatta, a grindingly visceral track that could easily have been penned for the aforementioned Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds.

This is the single, The Day The Dinosaurs Died, a fabulous paean to the loss of childhood inquisitiveness and perhaps, innocence.