When I took the record out of its sleeve, it was badly warped and had strange, rune-like markings along the vinyl. I threw it on my record player anyway. The sound came out herky-jerky, like an old recording from the ’20s. I e-mailed James to see if this was intentional — it seems like the kind of off-kilter thing he’d do. And given his music — disgruntled, teetering on the edge of hysteria — it seemed to fit.
As fortunate would have it, neither of us is really sure what exactly happened to the record itself. You, however, can listen to it distortion free on Bandcamp.
Boiled down to its essence, All God’s Creatures Have Knives feel like someone alone in their bedroom, venting their frustrations to empty air. This effect can be cathartic if you’re in that kind of place. Cotton’s accompanied by a full band this time, but that doesn’t lessen the sense that this is a private piece. Find yourself a safe space, crank this up, and let it wash over you.