Stuff like this never seems to “do it” for me. Something about an active attempt to inject horror into a song always leaves me feeling as if the attempt is totally contrived and kaput.

What always comes closer to the intended emotional reaction of songs like Frankie Teardrop or Hamburger Lady (with hamburger lady, I can’t imagine how someone can listen expecting to be frightened without rolling their eyes as a result) is something more like Dambala by Exuma - a song which manages to sound otherworldly and distinctly human all at once. It’s near and far. It always seems to give me the sense that I’ve been caught in something, or caught by something. More importantly, it provides a “horror” response while being entirely sincere & beautiful. There is nothing contrived about it. It’s not trying to be frightening. It is fright itself.