Introducing a creative duo whose songs are the sort to make long-time music writers instantly excited about their work again. Wisconsin alt-folk artists Leiting & Van Kammen blend organic, acoustic folk musicianship, with honest, alluring vocal charm, rising intensity, and haunting, reflective stories.
Death’s Dowry meanders between delicacy and darkness, sometimes accessing a writing style akin to the likes of Audioslave, in my view, but otherwise maintaining this fireside realism that is the acoustic guitars, mandolins, notes, and sublime harmonies of their set-up.
From Solace we’re presented with a mood, a moment to reflect and calm down, before Saint Olga is quick to offer an impassioned ode and story that fascinates, and a melody that’s impressively soulful – again drawing from rock and metal somewhat The sound is mildly dissonant but compelling and expressive; a beautiful quality to counter the softer loops of the acoustic fingerpicking.
Then for Obsidian, Leiting & Van Kammen pick up the pace with a strummed acoustic, and also raise the emotional peaks in unison. This catchy, evocative highlight is both satisfying and intriguing, with a lyrical vagueness that’s mysterious then familiar – ‘It’s always darkest before the dawn’ resounds and lingers in the mind.
The vocals are raw, honest and welcomed in their beauty and imperfections, and all of this adds to the appeal of Leiting & Van Kammen as songwriters and a live act. Their melodies and writing feel so far from folk music, but their instrumental arrangements hold closely to it, and this makes for something brilliantly unique.
Creativity charms again for the theatrical opening moments and poetry of Oh, the White Death – darker images and a rising boldness stop you in your tracks a little, and the closing crescendo is gritty but gripping, and always soulful, despite its declarations of worthlessness.
Then to counter the intensity, fingerpicking returns for Lalli and the Bishop, another mysterious story and scenes that draw you in. The emotion rises towards a huge finish, a live performance from Leiting & Van Kammen no doubt all the more powerful than the studio capture, and this leads well into the traditional folk riffs and duo unity of an unmissable, gentle and heartbroken, atmospheric and ultimately quite stunning The Prelude.
An intimate but aching final moment, The Prelude begs for you to re-listen to this journey, and re-connect with the nuance and depth of both the artists and their songwriting.
Find Leiting & Van Kammen on Facebook, Instagram. Download or stream Death’s Dowry.
