This is the first time I’ve handled anything that could be classified as spook pop, but there is really no other way to describe the product of these four Murfreesboro girls. Shrieking, tearing, rattling and pounding all conjoin to form the somewhat oriental, almost orchestral and richly layered sound of this 7”. The result is a sort of soundtrack to a haunting, which is appropriate given Murfreesboro’s historic background.

The recording is not for those who won’t try and listen from an artistic standpoint. There is nothing typical of pop music in this arrangement that is not downcast, but eerie and unnerving. On one side, Poltergeist-like whispering opens an entirely instrumental song that echoes, shifts its pace and compiles world music, especially traces of Asian influence.

There is squeaking and feedback, intense bass drum and fuzzed out drilling amid haunted vocals. At times, lyrics are difficult to discern (there’s a bit about a house fire because of a tampered-with light socket), though the vocal style itself is more intriguing. A strange clatter effect is created through layered vocals, and an eerie call-and-response technique is used with the repetition of “deep in the water/I don’t think so.”

The musicians are experienced and they employ a treasure trove of instruments to create the soundtrack to death, or at least the sort of music played in a smoky, off-the-beaten-path hookah shop. Expect to be frightened to a degree and listen with the most open of minds.