By Deuce

Before throwing on Crimson Legacy, the latest LP from Megan McDuffee, which just so happened to drop the same month as Halloween, it might behoove sensitive listeners to thoroughly peruse the promotional photos of the artist.

We’re not talking about the artwork for the project, which is innocuous enough (although the title does contain the word crimson). But more than one of the promotional photos contains a flowing type of crimson, if you can overstand that. Oftentimes her makeup is thick, she’s prone to wearing horns in a couple of flicks, and there’s even more than one in which she seems to be resembling a pentagram.

Granted, much of this same symbolism can be applied to the jolly fat guy whose popularity reigns this type of year, particularly if the horns are dismissed as antlers for reindeers. Regardless, from such a deconstruction of the artist’s imagery, you already know what she’s coming with on Legacy.

The beats are slow and eerie, with an ominous sound that’s frequently characterized by BPMs that don’t exceed mid tempo. The notable exception is “Anywhere With You”, which is deliciously upbeat and showcases McDuffee passing the mic back and forth to her mans Jordan Fiction, who also laces up the guitar on the tune.

Another motif is the dubstep distortion attending to the bass. On some numbers, such as “Forgive Me”, which appears to be an ode to lesbian instincts, that distortion ravages her vocals—particularly on the hook—which features metal-esque electric guitars. Many of the tracks feature low, long synth sounds, played slow, and huge backing beats that rivet one’s attention right away. The original version of “Forgive Me” demonstrates this proclivity that’s also displayed on “Cult Movie”, which is replete with 808 high hats.

McDuffee’s either a soprano or an alto known for hitting high notes, and she floats more than a few feathery ones of those, especially on “Anywhere”. She kicks a kind of half-way rapping style on “Lovely Psycho”, in which she alternates crooning the title with “love me psycho”. Coming from her, such an adjuration is something to be taken seriously—as is the case with this album.