Track listing: Dark & Deep, To The Bone, Licorice & Lollipops, Dig Them Graves, Night Passage of Painted Dog, Revealed to Him in the Wild, White Devil, The Golden Motel Room, Josef K
Cody Carlyle and Travis Jordan play an "eclectic mix of Americana, old-timey murder ballads, garage rock, dark country, punk, punkgrass and folk." There's no more accurate description of the music of Until They Burn Me than that. Their forthcoming album A Carnival of Reveries, slated for a Halloween 2025 release, represents all manner of hope, hopelessness, despair, and spiritual energy you can imagine set against a backdrop of murder ballads. And the musical chemistry & focus of their 30-year musical partnership comes through in spades on this spooky lil' collection.
Though they hail from Washington state, A Carnival of Reveries emits heavy duty Nawlins vibes. It's a Voodoo-cursed Tom Waits. An Alternative Screamin' Jay Hawkins. The haunted offspring of Marianne Faithful and Taj Mahal, delivered by none other than Dr. John.
"Dig Them Graves" radiates The Man in Black penning a soundtrack to a murderous Spaghetti Western. "White Devil" is just plain nasty--a groove forged in sex, sin, and lawlessness. "The Golden Motel Room" produces the smell of burning candles, a sprig of palo santo wood, and regret. Quentin Tarantino hasn't filmed this movie yet, but Until They Burn Me has the soundtrack ready to go.
When do you play this album, though? Sure, it'd flow smoothly in and out of my Hallow's Eve playlists as unsuspecting children take candy while dressed up as The Boogieman. I also want to hear this record while sipping on a smokey bourbon as Casino El Camino's jukebox blasts it over tourists' conversations & local service industry types talking shit about their exes.
All said, A Carnival of Reveries is more than a new album. It's an experience. A mood. It's life, death, pain, pleasure, and curiosity. Savory, followed by sweet, then sour. A melange of horror and adventure, darkness and dread, performed by a cast of minstrels whose skills are well-honed over decades of exploration and experimentation.
Turn the page of their musical graphic novel. Follow, share, like, love. Take the first step of your journey into Until They Burn Me at the eponymous untiltheyburnme.com.