Review Summary: The unorthodox format in which all these songs were released, plus this push for experimentation makes it clear this compilation is dedicated to their most loyal fanbase.
After the release of Nothing as the Ideal in 2020, the Nashville band All Them Witches were left with little opportunities to tour for the album. This situation, of course, continued for the course of 2021 where the band secretly started working on writing new material which would eventually be released in the format of Baker’s Dozen. At the start of 2022 the band announced they would be releasing a total of 13 songs through the course of that same year, one song each month starting with the release of “Blacksnake Blues” on January 31st.
Ever since this long-standing project was announced, the band delivered their promise releasing a single every last Friday of every month. The compilation of all the singles was released exclusively and independently on a very limited vinyl bulk on October 11th of 2023. Simultaneously, the band themselves uploaded a playlist of this compilation on their Spotify artist page.
The band’s overall style could be described as stoner rock, with a very particular fuzzy blues tone at the front. Albums like ATW feature a more classic rock vibe, where Nothing As the Ideal and Lightning at the Door display a heavier direction, almost entering metal territory. Dying Surfer Meets His Maker, on the other hand, wears Americana elements on its sleeve, ultimately giving a more somber and folkish experience. Baker’s Dozen takes all of these different elements and combines them into a massive hour and 44 minutes heavy psych blues escapade. This compilation encapsules the essence this band has carried since their inception.
The psychedelic blues is perfectly exampled in the John Lee Hooker cover of “Blacksnake Blues” and the original song “L’Hotel Serein”, which features a very smooth bass groove and a great vocal performance from Michael Parks Jr. “Tiger’s Pit” is a song that easily could have been release on Nothing As the Ideal with a heavy and crisp sound. You can’t really talk about All Them Witches without praising Ben McLeod’s awesome guitar tone; his shreds compliment songs like “Tiger’s Pit”, L’Hotel Serein” and “Silver to Rust” perfectly. Speaking of which, “Silver to Rust” comes out of nowhere and smacks the listener with what could be described as a progressive hard rock -and almost doom metal- approach, and offers one of Ben’s best solos. Robby Staebler also shines here, offering very interesting dynamics with the use of sporadic cymbals leading the groove of the song, and a change of gears right after the explosive buildup with a clever use of the floor tom and bass pedal until the final bit. It is truly a behemoth of a track, and it is probably the best in the whole compilation.
Throughout the years, the band have released several EP’s and compilations like A Sweet Release, Effervescent and Extra Pleasant focusing on jam-type classic rock/garage tracks. They embrace this side of theirs for this compilation in the form of “Acid Face”, with an obvious improvised and eclectic nature clocking at a whopping 18 min exercise. The more repetitive aspect of this is explored with the Pharaoh Overlord cover, “Slow City”. A new facet of the band comes in the form of “6969 WXL THE CAGE”, which goes the total opposite direction. This track is essentially an electronic backdrop with, what could be considered, an eerie but funny distorted voiceover on top. This experimentation also manifests on “Mama is a Shining Star”, though on this occasion the band goes into a 10 min ambient exercise that seems to buildup to something that never really comes. Depending on your mood, these experiments can be either exhausting, daunting or flat out boring. This is an issue if you are looking for a more cohesive listening experience.
Lastly, the Americana influences make a return on “Tour Death Song”, which is one of my personal favorites, and the instrumental piece “Real Hippies are Cowboys”. The acoustic guitar is also used heavily on “Hush, I’m on TV”, only this time the band goes into 90’s alternative/grunge direction. The unorthodox format in which all these songs were released, plus this push for experimentation makes it clear this compilation is dedicated to their most loyal fanbase. However, despite not being the best place to start for a newcomer, it is still an exceptional study of the band’s overall catalog and it may point towards the direction of All Them Witches future releases.
