Procession 3

San Diego's The Blackheart Procession release their third album in as many years and their second for the once mighty Touch ... Go label.

Consisting of three core members - Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel of Three Mile Pilot and Mario Rubalcaba, formerly of Clikitat Ikatowi - The Black Heart Procession also collaborate with musicians playing instruments that range from guitar, piano and percussion to saw! US underground trainspotters take note that Kasu Makino from Blonde Redhead also contributes long distance phone vocals from New York.

All these spooky musical chairs create a thrilling sense of mysterious confusion. 'Waterfront (The Sinking Road)' comes across like a gothic Calexico soundtracking some darkly pastoral Wickerman nightmare, terrifically topped off with chiming yet funereal pianos.

What to all intents and purposes may sound like a full-blown case of seriously avant-garde muso-ism, is actually an amazingly accessible yet durable listen, akin to the Paris, Texas soundtrack performed by the house band in Fire Walk With Me.

'Till We Have To Say Goodbye' is a warped, doom-paced sea shanty somewhere way beyond our conventional interpretations of folk, country and rock. Or try the long distance phone call duet 'On Ships Of Gold'. Dark, gruesome and beautiful, The Black Heart Procession have made a terrifyingly brilliant record.