Andrew McLatchie’s next release under his Half Deaf Clatch moniker could be here any moment is already here, but I would still like to share this one from last month with you. I think the brilliant British singer-songwriter is at his best when he stays close to himself in terms of story and sound, and that is certainly the case on the Black Heart Blues EP (at least that’s how it feels): “Oh, my songs hold sway, people get enthralled by the music I play and trust me there’s a very good explanation. And it’s why I live the life of a troubadour.”

You’ll hear a gothic blues story that unfolds in just under 23 minutes, split into five chapters that continue the captivating narrative, with little more than acoustic guitar, mournful cello, ambient textures, and the characteristic gravelly, world-weary voice to carry its emotional weight. It begins as the confession of a wandering serenader but gradually reveals the cursed origin of his gift: after accepting a supernatural guitar from the Devil, he becomes an immortal minstrel doomed to corrupt every audience he plays for, harvesting souls through the haunting spell of the ‘black heart blues’ with no hope of escape, or ending.

Black Heart Blues is out digitally and on homemade CD through Speak Up Recordings.

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