Murder City Devils, The White Ghost Has Blood

on Its Hands Again

Out now, self-released, themurdercitydevils.com Reunion records can be a drag. So often they’re like old college friends returning to the local dive, speaking in big words and other languages, wearing new khakis. Founded in Seattle in 1996, the Murder City Devils would go on to some success, but ultimately called it quits five years later. Reforming in 2006, the band played live sporadically, doing various tours and festivals, but no new music surfaced other than a 7-inch a few years ago. This new album is the MCD’s first new material in 13 years, and luckily it’s a case of aging gracefully. Sure, vocalist Spencer Moody’s voice has chiseled a bit, but the delivery is still potent as ever. Tracks like the opener “I Don’t Want to Work for Scum Anymore” and the follow-up “Cruelty Abounds” are instant stand-outs, but Ghost really opens around its halfway mark. “Old Flame,” seemingly written about the band itself, speaks of rekindling past relationships and trying to make things work, only to realize why the split happened in the first place. It’s this self-awareness that completes the album’s charm, allowing it to stand proudly with the band’s former work.

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