The Mute Group Examines Hex-ual Healing in ‘Miriam’ [Fresh Vid]

If you’ve been following The Mute Group — the mystic Nashville outfit who describes their sound accurately as “theater music for strange, unwritten operas; chants for undiscovered liturgies; ballads for forgotten minstrels” — you know that new work from them is always worth waiting for. Their debut album Sinister Hand, released in January, was several years in the making. It was preceded by a string of phenomenally detailed music videos that express another dimension of artistic talent (see “Brainplate in Eb,” “AEIOU” and “Abuses & Superstitions”).

They’ve continued that thread with a new video for Sinister Hand closing track “Miriam.” The narrative in the piece examines a romantic relationship in a way that suggests infidelity by multiple parties. There’s also an attempt at some supernatural solutions, as The Mute Group’s Amy Gill and Zachary Gresham sing: “I had a lover by the gate / I had a lover in every way / He taught me a hex / On your secret sex / I know the reason you’re sick today.” 

The relationship and its contortions take the form of a dance, featuring Kate Crews Linsley from Nashville Ballet and Zach Ferrin, the exquisitely mustachioed frontman from the theatrically inclined rock group Fable Cry. The video lands somewhere between vulnerable and empowering as its cast grapples with cheating and being cheated on. It’s a gentle song, but the feelings described are brutal.

Keep an eye on The Mute Group’s website for updates, and find Sinister Hand in your favorite local record store or on Bandcamp. Their next local show is Saturday, Nov. 23, as part of the YK Records 10th anniversary showcase at Mercy Lounge. Check out the Facebook event page for more details on the gig, which features fellow signees to Michael Eades’ label like Hotpipes and Fetching Pails.