Album Review: Soundwalk Collective & Jesse Paris Smith - Killer Road

29 August 2016 | 2:38 pm | Guido Farnell

"Immersive listening that sometimes requires suspension of disbelief."

Killer Road billows ghostly in the darkest depths of the night. 

Its haunting, ambient tones invite listeners to descend the familiar downward spiral accompanied by sombre poetic mediations that centre on despairing self-examining introspection, fear, uncertainty and ultimately death.

Paying tribute to Nico, the original Venus In Furs, Patti Smith delivers a masterful recitation of Nico's poetry that is vicious and loaded with attitude. Ambient trio Soundwalk Collective and Smith's daughter Jesse Paris Smith assemble a subdued collection of tones and drones to provide an evocative soundtrack to Smith's spellbinding performance. Immersive listening that sometimes requires suspension of disbelief.