That dank odor of musty motel room out at the Tropicana on the side of the road is wafting past again, but it’s never really left. It lingers despite repeated cleanings, wipe downs, or hopeless air fresheners. The dirty old shades are drawn in one of those rooms, and it’s haunted. By what – or whom – only Wil Cope can say. You can barely make out his shadow, propped up by pillows on the bed, as he stares vacantly at a flickering TV screen, watching nothing in particular.
Got the image now? Because that’s exactly the vibe Cope carries on recordings like Gloom Shrine, Mañana, or even as far back as his official 2010 debut Sunset Craves, with a bit of twang to it. Cope weaves the tunes of “spooky stone noir,” dystopian folk tales you may know all too well. Whether you emerge relatively unscathed on the other side is another story…
Cope and his band perform tonight at the witching hour at The White Horse, 500 Comal. Chansons et Soulards start the evening off at 8 p.m., followed by Devin Jake at 10 p.m. This is worth staying up late for, wanderer. Recommended.
-Photography by Jacqueline Badeaux.
