Portland three-piece, Big Haunt, just released their 5-track album, Devotionals, and if I can say one thing, it’s that the band certainly lives up to their name. At the risk of sounding silly, what we have here is some damn spooky indie folk. They tag themselves beneath “dark garden music” which, though cryptic and oddly specific, is fitting for the soundscape they so expertly craft throughout the record. Songs like “Burn Me Up” feature chilling harmonies coupled with ominous lyrical content that practically has you looking over your shoulder for assurance. When front man Lars Ballard sings, “Like a lover on a cold night, death she held me in her arms oh baby,” you damn near have to reach for a night light. “Bitter Water” was my favorite track with a foreboding harmonized refrain like some twisted spiritual to a reverse baptism. Believe me when I say Big Haunt is a welcomed ghost, providing catchy folky tunes that will undoubtedly take up residency in your aural attic space. – Ted Jamison
