Sometime in 2009, I heard Bohren for the first time. I don't remember how they crossed my path, but I suspect it may have been via last.fm. My first album was 'Sunset Mission' whose smooth, film-noir Jazz was just the sort of thing I'd always wanted to listen to more of, but I never knew where to look. The album served as a great introduction and whet my appetite for more. 'Dolores' (which was the previous album), was my second foray into that black and white detective movie world Bohren's music conjured, only this time the music was slower, thicker and even more portentous. Something about the feel of this record immediately grabbed me.
One of the things I love about 'Dolores' the most is the sound of its drums: they are sparse and infrequent but hit with an almost primal, gut-wrenching intensity. The kicks thud like a very slow heartbeat and the spaces between the snares feel like yawning chasms. Another thing I love is the sheer heaviness of the record, which is delivered through the thick as molasses pacing and the almost suffocating, doom-like atmosphere. Make no mistake, this is not the heaviness of metal (there's not a single note of guitar on the entire album); Bohren's density is subtle, deceptive, but no less powerful.
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