49 Burning Condors - Truths and Roses

49 Burning Condors

Truths and Roses
​self-released; 2020

4.0 out of 5

By Dan Weston

The dark, gothic Louisiana sound from 49 Burning Condors was what first drew me to their debut self-titled release 49 Burning Condors. If I remember correctly I had just got done watching True Detective Season 1 and their music seemed to be a near perfect counterpart.

The band is back with a fitting release called Truths and Roses and it seems to sort of feed the idea of a story in the south. They mention “A small town in Louisiana houses secrets -- each song from the EP represents a new character, a new story, a new mystery this town calls its own.” The band this time around adds violin and drums to the songs. I do admit I did sort of enjoy the minimalism of the first EP but some of the added instrumentation had its benefits.

The band gets rolling with “Marigold Lake” and the drums and violin certainly make their sound much more full. There are points which really dig into a darker vibe but the chorus sounded a little more festive and reminded me of the band Rusted Root and to a lesser extent The Dave Matthews Band. They find their best moments about halfway through with the darker chants which sound like a seance.

“Slow” is a killer track. The violinist is all over this song. It’s gothic and dynamic. I liked the aggression from the guitar and the song ends with a huge sounding crescendo. “Rosaleen” is pretty yet dark and contains a fantastic vocal performance. I really liked how they decided to approach the instrumental climax with dissonant and chaotic guitar sounds.

“Within The Woods” is the arguable single in the batch. There are some very cool instrumental sections and builds. I was getting some serious Fleetwood Mac vibes at points. “Dust” is a gorgeous song with fantastic guitar picking and another exceptional vocal performance. “Jim Jones” felt like a good closer. The subject matter, tom rolls and everything made sense to me. 

The addition of the drums and violin were creative decisions which brings the band in a new direction. This release is perhaps more dynamic and probably a little more accessible all things considered. I’m slightly nostalgic for their first release because there was this slow burn like  haunting effect that I remember having because of the minimalism. It felt a bit like a spell from a witch living in the corner of the swamp. 

​I would say this is a welcome addition to the band’s discography which finds the theme evolving in some ways. Their core sound is still intact and I found this to be a fun yet haunting release.

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