It always seemed to me that The Shadows had a strangely menacing edge. Yes, I realise that they birthed plastic-faced man-child Cliff Richard (menacing, of course, in his own, unique way), but despite this there was always a sense of something dark lurking in the recesses of their spring-reverb melodies.
Widowspeak have, I suspect, had the same thought. Their debut album, due out later this month on Captured Tracks, takes as its template the mariachi guitars and marching band drums that bands like The Shadows appropriated, and uses it as a foundation on which to build a sombre construction of hushed vocals and tightly controlled noise. It is strangely disturbing, and utterly compelling.
‘Nightcrawlers’ is taken from the self-titled debut. Look out for an interview with Widowspeak soon.
03 Nightcrawlers by The Line Of Best Fit
Sign up to Best Fit's Substack for regular dispatches from the world of pop culture