jesus is the path to heaven - The Lord Has Bled A Line (Self Release) [Alt-Folk]

I didn't think I'd be writing about religous music any time soon, but Jesus is the Path to Heaven are an "apolcalyptic folk band" led by the vocals of Jordan Hoban, and ably supported by Thommy Underhill and Zach Jordan, and definitely not the sort of folk band for church fetes, BBQs and hoedowns, instead occupying altogether more shadowy, freakier, boundary-ignoring and now, yes, seemingly end-of-days folk territory. Indie-folk fans can look away now.

I have to admit a soft spot for eight-minute-long tracks with four-minute-long, mantric, patiently building doom-folk instrumental introductions so "The Lord has Bled a Line" immediately hit my alt-folk sweet spot - these boys can play, especially with Geoff White's quivering, variously pastoral and paranormal fiddle work. Just as you've got comfortable though in the low-lit instrumental, in pops Hoban with his heartfelt tale of baptismal redemption which gently takes the edge out of the composition, the song slipping into piano-led singer-songwriter sentimentality for a while, before the other musicians rush to reinforce the group's apocalpytic promise with a suitably intense and dramatic finale. Let's hope there's more music on the way this year.

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Playlist Companion

Find them in the Slow Psyche Playlist.