indy cd & vinyl

CD: “OUR ETERNAL GHOSTS”—DEADMAN

$15.99 (list price), Rock/Alt. Country, One Little Indian

Basic Story: Texas husband/wife duo delivers austere, dark, country-flecked debut.

Sample: “In a dream that I had not long ago/Visions of a city made of gold/And a sound that I’d never heard before/Such a sound! Saturating to the core/Such a sound, one that cannot be forgotten/In a time when the music’s not forgotten.”

Verdict: While the alt.country field has recently gotten crowded with bands taking the uptempo/rockabilly approach, Deadman takes a much more somber, almost “film-noir” tack on its debut. With delicately plucked acoustic and pedal-steel guitars, atmospheric keyboards, and haunting melodies with plenty of boy/girl trade-offs and harmonies, Deadman recalls a darker take on Gram Parsons territory. Gospel influences are present throughout, and the production recalls that of Daniel Lanois (prime-era U2, gospel-era Dylan). If you like your country-rock with a ghostly sheen, this is for you.