An Offbeat by CFUV review
Photo via Marah in the Mainsail ‘Bone Crown’ album trailer.
Editor’s note: This article was misattributed to JP Meldrum in our printed issue. The correct author of this article, as is cited above, is Zoe Bechtold.
Now that it’s autumn, if you’re looking for an album with some eerie fall vibes and a Hallowe’en-y feel, then Coyote Kid’s 2017 album Bone Crown might be for you.
Coyote Kid –– which was formerly Marah in the Mainsail –– is a Minneapolis-based band that has released four albums: Devil Weeds & Dour Deeds (2013), Thaumatrope (2015), Bone Crown (2017), and The Skeleton Man (2019).
Coyote Kid announced that they were disbanding on Facebook in 2022, though its vocalist/guitarist Austin Durry continues to make music with his sister Taryn under the band name Durry.
Bone Crown tells a story of ruthlessness, distrust, violence, and environmental destruction set in a woodland kingdom ruled over by The Great Fox. The music is dramatic and evocative, with vocals ranging between haunting and gritty, firm percussion, and instrumentals that create a sense of building tension.
The album starts with the track “The Beginning.” Told in third person, “The Beginning” introduces the key characters –– a prophetic owl and the fox who will bring it all crashing down. Starting out creepy and slow, “The Beginning” sets the tone for the rest of the album. The album switches into first person for “Fox Hole” and “Fisticuffs,” which have a quicker pace and introduce another character –– the bear.
A song that stands out on Bone Crown is “Brave Little Buck”. Tonally different from the rest of the album, “Brave Little Buck” feels like an old fairytale. While there is still that ever present sense of eeriness, it is a much gentler song both lyrically and instrumentally compared to the rest of the album.
The songs from “The Beginning” to “The Great Beyond” form the first arc of the album, introducing the story, characters, and world. Things come to a head in the titular song “Bone Crown”. With a much faster pace than the preceding songs, “Bone Crown” continues the narration of the characters from “The Beginning” –– the owl, the bear, and the fox. With many dramatic builds, vivid storytelling elements, and a clear descent into madness, “Bone Crown” is one of my favourite songs on the album.
The second half of the album –– from “Black Mamba” to “The End” –– form the denouement and detail the aftermath of the fox’s rampage. “Black Mamba” tells the story of the fire itself, “Ember” comes once the flames have cooled, and “The End” calls back to “The Beginning” in lyrics and style, bringing the album full circle.
Consider Bone Crown for your next autumn walk through campus, or long rainy bus ride home.
