ATW
ATW gives All Them Witches a smaller, rougher setting after the larger production of Sleeping Through the War. The band recorded in a cabin outside Nashville, with guitarist Ben McLeod producing. The change brings the guitar, voice and rhythm section into closer contact. Blues grooves and extended psychedelic passages remain central, with less polish around the edges.
Fishbelly 86 Onions starts with a loose, forceful garage-rock rhythm. The stops and starts in the riff give it a clear hook. Workhorse takes a darker route, using sharp drum accents to build a tense blues-rock sound. The contrast gives the opening pair a useful sense of movement.
1st vs. 2nd keeps the harder guitar character in view, while Half-Tongue moves towards a more relaxed soul-blues groove. The songs show how much the band can change through small choices of rhythm and tone. The production leaves those details easy to hear, even when the basic forms remain familiar.
The middle of the album is more patient. Diamond builds slowly around a restrained, darker mood, and Harvest Feast stretches the blues approach across more than ten minutes. Its relaxed swing gives the musicians space to work around each other, with the long arrangement favouring interplay over quick changes.
Rob's Dream brings the record to a suitably unhurried finish. A quiet organ-and-guitar opening establishes a dreamy atmosphere, keeping the final stretch in the album’s more hypnotic territory. It is an effective summary of the album's ability to move between smaller textures and a heavier band sound.
The same patience can make the sequence feel too long. Diamond in particular leaves plenty of space around a limited set of ideas, and the looser approach does not always produce a memorable melody. A little more editing would give the strongest passages greater impact. Even so, ATW has a convincing sense of the musicians working together. Its raw sound suits their playing, making this a worthwhile, occasionally uneven set for listeners who enjoy the band's slower blues and psychedelic side.
