Wormwood Brothers, Spider Lake

Self-proclaimed “dustcore” band the Wormwood Brothers hail from Phoenix, AZ — I guess “dustcore” is the name given to these depressing desert/country drinking songs. Spider Lake is a safe release, as it does not try anything original, but what does these days? There are a few bands that can pull this sound off and sound as if they were made for it; however, Wormwood Brothers fall short of that with these 10 songs.

For the most part, the songs are bland songs that you would hear in a middle of the road 1970s movie, a la anything with Robbie Benson in it. There are a few standouts, like opener “Dark Hour,” which has a real Uncle Tupelo feel to it, or the bluesy “Mr. Blackbird,” which is my favorite track of this release. The Simon and Garfunkel-influenced “Just Like John Lennon Said” is more Garfunkel than Simon. Overall, Spider Lake is a safe and easy release for the Brothers; it’s just been done before and pulled off better.