All the instruments on this “future folk” murder ballad are played by Odetta Hartmann, and it’s also one of the first songs that she wrote on the banjo. It moves from a stark folk sounds to move into mixed media sounds – a bit Flaming Lips, or Larkin Poe perhaps – which certainly suggests a lot of bodies being left behind. Strange, but as Odetta explains: “this song has haunted me since I first visited the New Mexican deserts. The jury is still out over who killed who, but one thing is certain: the only justice found is that which we serve ourselves”. Hmm…well, try it on and see how it grabs ya’.
Odetta Hartmann “Misery” – Listen
