Rating: 10/10

“The Horror and the Wild” is a Folk-rock album by The Amazing Devil, a London-based band consisting of Joey Batey and Madeleine Hyland. The two singers have very different vocal ranges, yet they complement each other really well: Batey’s ability to go from a soft croon to an almost growl blends nicely with Hyland’s amazing shift between high and low notes. However, it’s the lyrical storytelling woven beautifully into the melodies that shines the brightest. While some songs lean towards fairy tales, every song on the album tells a story, and its well-structured form drags you in whether you like it or not. For example, “Farwell Wanderlust” starts out slowly but ends in a lovely crescendo. The songs can even have two different layers of meanings: Batey could be singing about happiness in a joyful tone, when Hyland would come in and vocalize with sadness about despair. You could listen to this album multiple times, and each time you would learn something new. It will give you chills one minute and have tears streaming down your face in the next. The Amazing Devil can be found on Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Spotify.