All Them Witches - Atw (CD)

By most bands' fifth LP, the sound is pretty set. Parameters established. Refinement dissipated in favor of formulaic execution of what's worked in the past. Fair enough. All Them Witches take a harder route. In 2017, the Nashville four-piece offered what might've otherwise become their own template in their fourth album, Sleeping Through The War. Their second for New West Records following 2015's mellow-vibing Dying Surfer Meets His Maker, Sleeping... brought larger production value to dug-in heavy psych blues jamming with oversight from producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson). After exploring new ground on 2013's Lightning At The Door and 2012's Our Mother Electricity as well as Dying Surfer, with Sleeping... The band had arrived at something new, something sprawling, and grander-feeling than anything before it.