The Thin Man - Spectres (Independent) One listen to Spectres and its easy to see why The Thin Man have been previously referred to as ‘dark folk’. Their wistful bluesy Americana can be a touch on the morbid side at times, not least on album opener “The Last Dance”. The Chicago outfit have kept their fourth release relatively short at just nine tracks but it at least guarantees that it is all killer and no filler. A variety of guests bring a different musical backing to each song guaranteeing a selection of gems. The horns on “Optimist’s Blues” perfectly compliments the, well, optimistic tone with its constant battle cry of ‘ten thousand reasons not to go to work no more’. An eerie cello pierces the heart of both “If Stars Are Bars…” and “Don’t Look Back” whilst the standout track, “Leaving St Mary’s” begins relatively ordinary until deranged, jagged guitars and Kennedy Greenrod’s strong vocals combine to lead it off down a twisted road all of its own. In fact, Greenrod steps up to the mic on every song with such a swagger of confidence that it is hard to find a flaw. Spectres constantly begs and deserves to be heard. Don’t let The Thin Man down. www.thinmansongs.com Michael B. Next