The Body & BIG|BRAVE – “Polly Gosford”

The Body & BIG|BRAVE – “Polly Gosford”

If you’re into hearing confrontational avant-garde musicians crafting epic takes on Appalachian folk music, then this is a great time to be alive. That’s what Lingua Ignota does on her new album Sinner Get Ready, which is out next week and which absolutely rules. It’s also what Portland duo the Body and Montreal trio BIG|BRAVE do on their forthcoming collaborative LP Leaving None But Small Birds.

On Leaving None But Small Birds, the Body and BIG|BRAVE come together to adapt lyrics that come from various North American folk-song traditions. We’ve already posted their version of the traditional “Oh Sinner,” and now they’ve also shared their musically and conceptually heavy new song “Polly Gosford.”

On “Polly Gosford,” BIG|BRAVE’s Robin Wattie adapts lyrics from various different traditional death ballads, giving the album its title: “He covered her grave and hastened home/ Leaving none but small birds, her fate to bemoan.” Behind her, the two bands clang noisily, evoking serious Swans/Birthday Party vibes. Check it out below.

Leaving None But Small Birds is out 9/24 on Thrill Jockey.

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