The Strangler's Wife by Cul De Sac (SAAH017)

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A couple of months after their most recent release ‘Death of the Sun’, American legendary experimental Rock band Cul de Sac have outdone themselves once more with a beautiful 18 songs soundtrack of this ‘low budget, feminist-leaning slasher film’. Having learned (strange attractors site) that the band used to perform live with experimental films in the background, and have created live musical accompaniment to silent pictures, their involvement in this motion picture soundtrack (in 2001) seems almost like a natural sequel.

The album kicks off with a sort of ‘typical’ Cul de Sac beginning although with a distinctive rising tension right from the start. Guitars, drums and quirky noises accompany the ‘first victim’s’ assault of this unknown movie by Jay Lairo. After some soothing violin/guitar-driven melodies, the tension rises again upon the arrival of the second victim’s faith. A musical journey marked by a mixture of acoustic guitar (in a Fahey tonality), mellow drums, violin and electronic samples (established with the arrival of Jake Trussell in the band) emphasise the unpredictability of this exquisite album.

Wirth a series of somehow ferocious, improvised pieces halfway through – another divergence from previous Cul de Sac’s tunes - and the album finishes as beautifully as it started. A possible incentive to discover this anonymous film? if such can be found.