You just can’t keep Leah Hinton down. Little over a year on since we heard the first EP from Murmur Tooth (then a band, now a solo project), a fresh batch of dark, grungey tracks have landed on our desk.
Dropping Like Flies has a different feel to 2016’s The Room. Since going it solo, Hinton’s lyrics seem more introspective, and the EP as a whole has more coherence. In fact, this collection at times seems almost like one long epic ballad. The solo piano and reappearance of the title song’s refrain in final track ‘Of Memory’, and the ‘Interlude’ midway through, give a grander sense of atmosphere without losing the adventurousness of Murmur Tooth’s raucous sound.
The syrupy synths and layered vocals of the opening track set the tone for what is at times a darkly cinematic endeavour. Hinton’s childhood classical piano training is used for the first time here, though you sense the mood owes more to her current residence in Berlin, than the sunnier climes of her native New Zealand.
As a whole, Dropping Like Flies is a fresh and at often surprising addition to Murmur Tooth’s previous work. We’re more intrigued than ever to hear what will come next.
You can listen to and download Dropping Like Flies for free by following this link.
