Hung Over as the Queen in the Maida Vale by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Review)

“Hung Over as the Queen in the Maida Vale” was recorded some time ago as a Peel Session, and quickly surfaced on the Web at various locations as an MP3. Although some might balk at it’s 14+ MB size, this is the most cohesive, powerful track this nine piece has yet released. Starting off with a slowly-strummed guitar straight out of a spaghetti western and eerily building strings and electronics, it’s quite lulling at first. However, Godspeed excels at slowly building the tension in their music. The drums pick up and the guitars begin to wail, driving you towards the unavoidable, frightening climax.

Here, the climax is reached as the music fades away and reveals an eerie recording of a man that sounds like he’s on the edge of going insane. Bizarre, quasi-mystical statements that sound like a revival minister preaching from The Cloud of Unknowing abound, trailed by a sorrowful violin. Slowly, the music once again picks up, echoing the strange spiritual utterances you just heard. It’s exhilarating, haunting, beautiful, and disturbing at once.

Godspeed are masters of their craft. This single song shows why they are currently putting out some of the best music today.