Review: Lydia Lunch & Cypress Grove – A Fistful of Desert Blues

Like a mysterious mirage amid sand dunes, “Sandpit” begins the album with Spanish-influenced blues and existential wonderings. In her classic style, Lunch moans like a witch with a voice made out of sex. As the album progresses, the music transforms from minimalist acoustic stylings to heavy western rock, all with a murky blues style. Every song is consistently littered with dark lyrical content ranging from lost love to murder. At one point, on “Jericho,” the album becomes political, referencing the war in Iraq. The drums are always intense, whether they’re lo-fi and fixed in the bass register or cymbal-heavy and crashing. The occasional Middle Eastern influence or strange background effect adds interest. If you enjoy eerie compositions voiced by a devil woman like I do, A Fistful of Desert Blues should be next on your to-do list. –LeAundra Jeffs