Following a tragic loss, vocalist Shannon Provost took refuge in a dark, otherworldly realm of her own making, one she had been building since childhood but which, for a while at least, felt like the perfect retreat from the pain of the real world. But it was penning the stories and songs of the places and people that she found there that acted as a lifeline; by the time she found her way back to the light, she had built Shansylvania, a band, a place and a song cycle.
With the album, the equally pun-tastic Monstrocity also dropping today, ‘Haunted Hotel’ is the perfect sonic morsel for those yet undecided about buying this fantastic debut. This single is a seemingly simple gothic folk tune, drifting by on atmosphere and understatement, but the more you listen to this strange piece, the more it beguiles you, the more it reveals itself.
Soon the simple bass pulses, poised piano, and ticking beats are joined by distant, swooning violin – banjos tumble, guitars scratch and swirl, and slowly the song is cocooned in dark tones and tormented textures, the tension rising, the vocals finding new crescendos to hit, shadows loom and darkness bears down before everything fades out on an eldritch wind.
That such interesting, eclectic, and unique music calls Athen’s Georgia home comes as no surprise; it is easy to make an impressive list of the great music made there. (I won’t, but you should.) A great song, but stop dithering and go and buy the album; trust me, I’m a music journalist.
