Puerto Muerto - I Was a Swallow

The rich tones of husband and wife duo Puerto Muerto bring us ten tracks of what can perhaps be described as - whisper this - goth-country. Frequent nods to other genres and a pervasive latin influence do expand upon this slightly bizarre niche, but the thrust of the record is subtly morbid, sexually charged alt-country. Though occasionally uplifting and with Christa Meyer's cheerier vocals often strangely reminiscent of June Carter Cash, the majority of the tracks are sultry anecdotes. Gone is an obvious highlight, calling to mind the earlier work of Mark Lanegan minus the years of whiskey and fags. Twilight too is affecting and sees Christa's classically trained voice showcased at its most seductive. The arrangements throughout are relatively sparse and I Was a Swallow is never overbearing or needlessly schmaltzy, yet it maybe lacks the requisite number of real hooks to secure it repeated plays. [Chris Cusack]