We first heard from Black Magick Marching Band one year ago, upon the release of the debut single “Unseelie.” That record introduced us to a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist producer from Chicago, Illinois with a penchant for trippy retro Rock and a flare for theatrical poetic mysticism. Both musically and lyrically he recalls the sounds and themes of late 1960’s British hippie pioneers like the late great Syd Barrett.
Since that debut, Black Magick Marching Band has delivered a string of follow-up singles including three new tracks for 2021. Each was a precursor to the brand new wonderfully titled EP, “The Dark Arts Will Break Our Hearts.” Released worldwide to all major streaming services on September 3, 2021, the six song collection takes us on a deeper dive into the project’s wonderfully weird and psychedelic Folk/Rock world.
The record opens with the lush analog synths and guitar tapestry of “Big Dead Everything.” With its mix of folky acoustic guitars and electric 12-string melodies, the track sets the stage for what is to come. Lyrically the song blends the unique Black Magick Marching Band brand of poetry with a Zen-like view of the impermanence inherent to life in our universe. With a sort of morbid tranquility he sings, “Everything that you see, will disappear and cease to be. And that includes both you and me.”
Themes of life passing into the hereafter recur throughout the record, sometimes subtly. For instance, a bit of Googling reveals that the title of the track “Hallowell and James” is a reference to a funeral home in Chicago. “London Avenue” is another clever nod to the singer’s hometown. The upbeat bit of hippie-Pop tells the tale of a hip kid “queen of the underground” hanging around on the streets of the windy city. The title simultaneously conjures images of Black Magick Marching Band’s obvious creative ties to English groups like early Pink Floyd and their 80’s acolytes Love and Rockets.
Black Magick Marching Band’s appreciation for dark historical figures, both real and imagined, is fully intact on the new EP. Tracks like “Maid Marian” and “Morgana” blur the lines between past, present, fact and fiction. A mellow and melodic mix of acoustic and electric guitars swirls around him as the singer delivers the wonderfully tongue-n-cheek mystery of lyrics like “the night queen come, gonna save my soul.”
Check out “The Dark Arts Will Break Our Hearts” in its entirety below. You can also hear the track “London Avenue ” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links below to connect with The Black Magick Marching Band. Get on their socials and get in the loop on all of the current and future projects from this uniquely talented artist.
