However Showalter was keen to avoid this story defining him and set out to write more music and hopefully avoid being tagged as the guy who’s house burnt down. The result, Pope Killdragon, is much more varied than his first effort but no less affecting. The sound is more complete and there are forays into genres other than the lonely acoustic songwriter. I hear similarities to Damien Jurado in some parts, Wintersleep in others. Some of the album, such as the song ‘Sterling’ remind me of Rob Kozelek’s Sun Kil Moon in the way that the song seems to keep going and going, a stretch of sounds that feel like they began before you were listening and continue when you stop. You get the feeling that you have caught only a brief section of a grand story that is always unfolding.

Pope Killdragon is available to buy from Ten Atoms, Bandcamp and is on Spotify.

P.S. Download the cover of ‘Wolves’ by Phosphorescent free here.

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