Imagine a black, marble staircase winding up to an esoteric temple. The sky around you is the color of blood mixed with Balsamic vinegar. The moon is yellow, and hangs low on the horizon while Eastern European bats streak low over your head. The sound of dragging chains can be heard in what must be the dungeon below. Despite all of this gloom and terror, you must go inside. Romance demands it. If you ever want to hold the love of your life again, you must face unimaginable terror to make it happen, and even then there aren’t any guarantees. Obviously, it’s hard to summarize the sound of the Black Heart Procession on their second album, 2. All struggling metaphors aside, they are brilliant in their attempt to articulate the difficulty of fighting through the slicing depression that a battered heart can induce. The band’s evolution is as apparent as a third limb. Black Heart Procession may be the first band from a country-folk rock background to sew an array of alien sound samples and organs together with an ability to shift into a superb indie rock gear. All of these tools do nothing but complement the exquisite piano, guitar, and drums. Pall Jenkins’ voice has grown light years from the last album, and the end result produces a yearning voice that gives a stunning side to pain. – Gregg Rounds