The Doomed Bird of Providence – I weave through the trees (from the You brought the knife EO, Front & Follow)

Another compelling release from Mark Kluzek and friends which builds on previous explorations of early Australian colonial history.

It is wonderfully atmospheric and evocative, thick with drama and intrigue underscored by sawing strings and rowdy percussion.

This treatment gives a kind of doom folk meets cabaret feel, an incongruous but authentic sound very much supportive of the subject matter.

For their forthcoming release The Doomed Bird of Providence have been busy developing musical pieces based on one person who perhaps no one would know about were it not for some of the historical reseach taking place in Tasmania. That person is Maria Murray, a woman born into slavery in British Honduras (now Belize) in the early 19th century. Her story took many turns, often for the worst but sometimes for the better. The song ‘Fedicia Exine’ from the band’s first album ‘Will Ever Pray’ is loosely based on her life and that of her child – Fedicia.

This EP attempts create a broader picture by piecing together experiences of Maria Murray and those around her using a variety of sources including original court records and reports. It is a homage of sorts to her resilience and the arbitratry, often unfortunate, nature of life in general.

Sturdy and stirring stuff.