Marissa Nadler has been making stark, haunting doom-folk for a long time, and she'll release her latest self-produced LP New Radiations next month. We've already posted the LP's title track, and now Nadler has hit us with a dark and lovely new murder ballad called "Hatchet Man." Despite the title, "Hatchet Man" is not about the logo for the Insane Clown Posse's Psychopathic Record, a deranged silhouette that translates easily to merch or stick-and-poke tattoos, though I bet the Juggalos would be into the song's horror-movie narrative.
Here's how Marissa Nadler explains her new song:
"Hatchet Man" is about a sinister character bringing a woman home -- not for romance, but to murder her --while the narrator, his partner, is made to witness it unfold. Ultimately, the storyteller escapes, adrenaline flooding her veins. The sweet, lilting melody of the chorus offers a stark contrast to the verses, where much of the tale is told. I enjoy twisting narratives, subverting tropes, and playing with perspective in my songs. The rest of the details are all in the song.
Its lyrics might not be the most comforting thing on earth, but Nadler gives "Hatchet Man" a blissed-out torch-song arrangement that makes gorgeous use of what sounds like a mellotron. She directed her own dreamlike video for the song, and she says, "I wanted to create a surreal, crimson space for the song and its characters to live in, to tell the story without being too illustrative." Check it out below.
New Radiations is out 8/15 on Sacred Bones/Bella Union.
