Murder by Death is, like many other bands, a confused band.
Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them, their sophomore LP, after having released their debut under the name
Little Joe Gould, finds the Indiana-based quintet developing a concept album about how the Devil is shot in a small, Western town and the aftermath that follows. While the music is played competently, it's what is not done that undoes the band. Utilizing both a keyboardist and a cellist, it's unfortunate that much of the album finds the two buried in the mix or following the guitar instead of taking charge with some creativity.
Adam Turla's vocals, which were formerly British-influenced on their debut, are now seemingly more Texan than anything. It comes across as rather odd considering the direction of the story line. All in all,
Who Will Survive is a competent album, with quality production and an interesting idea behind the lyrics. Unfortunately, it's the band's inability to take advantage of what should set itself apart that ultimately makes the album seem rather average.