MATT ROSIN and the DEAD RAVEN CHOIR - Fire Mouth
Collaborative album released by Digitalis Industries as a pro-duplicated CD-R. All tracks feature words, vocals and instrumental contributions by Matt Rosin.

The Librarian
Firefly
Angel Wings On Cilia
That Night The Blind Man Dreamt That He Was Blind
Shovels for Hands
A Moth Blending Into Walls
Violence In Crayon

Reviews

Womblife
I wasn't sure how to take "Fire Mouth" at first, but after a few listens I'm starting to think I may never escape its clutches. This postal collaboration features Smolken on tenor banjo, troll cittern and double bass. Matt Rosin sings, plays piano, mbira, wine glasses and resonator jar. The tracks are mostly what we'd expect, skeletal folk dirges with Rosin's baritone vocal crooning over top. The voice takes some getting used to, but it's not a bad thing. I believe the word is character. His piano against Smolken's double base occasionally lends a slight broken jazz quality (Gastr Del Sol comes to mind), while other pieces alternate from meandering picking and plucking/ droning vocals to percussive clangfests and meditative torch songs. Say what you will about this stuff; it's unique, and "Fire Mouth" evinces some growth while maintaining the blackened soul quality of earlier releases. A few moments are even downright beautiful. Along with the brilliant "Sturmfuckinglieder" 3" CD-R, my favorite DRC release to date.