Steve Wilkins
‘Haunt Your
House III’
Self-released
Continuing his haunted
house album series for the third year in a row, Steve Wilkins is a local DIY
musician making a tradition out of seasonally themed soundscapes. Having
released several albums since his debut “Pasteurized Instrumental Music for
Relaxing Occasions” in 2014, Wilkins finds clever ways to trick and treat your
ears, using a tasteful blend of old-timey sounds and new musical timbres.
The sound of crickets
chirping, an ominous “hoo” from an owl, and a trio of piano, cello, and violin
float together in a slow and somber dance. With a brief pause, the listener
enters a house with the slam of a squeaky wooden door. This is just the
beginning of Wilkins’ plot to spook listeners with his newest album, “Haunt
Your House III.”
Be prepared for
sudden bouts of screaming and smashing glass on songs like “Cellar Dwellers”
and “The Stalker.” Wilkins creates entertainingly creepy and silly arrangements
using orchestral instruments, electronic sequencers, and synthesizers. The
album comes to an end with a ghostly poem whose words will send shivers down
your spine. “Haunt Your House III” uses more sound effects than Wilkins’s
previous two Halloween albums, providing a realistic musical narration of a
haunted house.
This article appears in Oct 24-30, 2018.
