Record Review

Heretic Pride is uniquely capable of articulating what Darnielle does so well for the uninitiated: His voice has never flashed so much range, and his band has never offered such vivid and varied interpretations.

On Espanta Muerto, the band has created a fully-formed, rich-sounding, original testament to its touchstones, at last overcoming the homage burden.

This certainly doesn't sound like a debut from post-graduates still learning their instruments: Built ground-up from simple rhythms and developed with tasteful guitar leads and Dan Bryk's omnipresent piano and organ flair, Down by Avalon is an elegant, precise pop production.