Munly, Jay – “Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots ” – [Alternative Tentacles]

Thurston Hunger   8/2/2006   A Library, CD

Just about a perfect record by my reckoning. Has a consistent
sonic air, and lyrically it is heavy and thick with southern
gothic. Sins with no avenue to redemption. Crows nesting in
ribcages, eyes gouged out, disconnected testicles, geese
walking over graves. Now maybe I shouldnt’ have given this
album to a pregnant with child reviewer, what with the sordid
tale on #9. And this album often toys with the mean-spirited
and wrong-hearted. Melodies get cycled and recycled with the
deftness of crack grave-robbers, we first flirt with one such
powerful chune on the “Ragin Cajun” but when it returns as
“The Leavening of the Spit-Bread Girls” it is unstoppable.
That song always runs shivers through my liver, the do-wop
Harlot background vocals are just perfect. Go-go dancers for
the damned, I love the Harlots on this, with a passion that
is deep and misguided. Violins, fiddles, and one of them
nordic sounding string things…all droney as a dead pony.
This thing is strung tighter than the noose on a horse
thief’s neck, tighter than the nodules on Munly’s larynx
when he saddles it up for one of them he-demon wails. I like
this release too damn much…but I ain’t apologizing.

-Thurston Hunger