Amen Dunes’ first album in six years, Death Jokes, is a unique and interesting work that demands rapt attention from listeners.
This neo-psychedelic album combines folk and electronic elements to great effect. The use of acoustic guitar on some tracks adds a lot of emotion. The percussion is also really good throughout the whole album. There is some rave music inspiration in the powerful, driving percussion and electronic beats found on some songs.
The album has a lot of parts that require multiple listens to really appreciate their full value. The lyrics tell an apocalyptic story that is quite interesting. Damon McMahon’s singing really draws out the sadness found in the lyrics.
The guitar and drums on “Ian” give the track a nice backdrop for the mournful vocals. The lyrics tell a touching story about loss through interesting poetry.
“Boys” is also quite good. The beginning is definitely the most accessible part of the album, but it ends with a very strange and interesting sound.
The weakest track on the album is easily “Purple Land,” but it is not bad by any means. It is simply not as interesting as the other tracks on the album.
