Since the dude behind (X) HISTORY MONTH is so fond of doling out stream-of-consciousness monikers, I’m just gonna refer to him as ‘Dude’ from hereouts. Dude has clearly been a fan of Bloomington natives DUST FROM 1000 YEARS for some time. That love is mutual and they’ve teamed up to put out one stripped-down collection of poetically pessimistic jags, all wrapped up in a nice little pack for ya. Inhale deep and sigh with relief. This is what your deathwish daydreaming soul really needed. Tunes that get your feelings of anxiety, sadness and wonder.

Dude starts things off with dolorous Tibetan-Buddhist drum and gong leading into a five-song set that includes his latest three musical catharses, followed by a medley of DFTY deep-cut covers. These recordings are more meditatively constructed than Dude’s live versions, and deliver his starkly funny revelations with the added punch of thoughtful production. They didn’t need it, but are just made beautiful in a different way, with atmospheric touches like saloon-style keys, record skip and blurry feedback breaks. Dude’s songs evoke place. Take Track 2, ‘The Imaginary Tone Of My Own Voice Talking Shit’ for example, and envision yourself at the bottom of a dry well in the desert, looking up to see that little patch of night sky at noon.

Continuing that smoking guitar-playing cowboy feel from the first half, DFTY keeps the tempo nice and low so you can savor the dope Neil Young-oid crooned lyricality. These five tunes mirror Dude’s bummed aesthetic and are produced by Ben Rector (Bone) working solo-acoustic mojo with some electric flourishes. ‘Smoke Em Up’ sets a desolate dreamy tone and ‘Tell Everybody’ is short and angstlich. Both songwriters share a cynical sense of humor, as you can hear in album closer ‘Party Song’. While ‘Jamalamadingdong’ seems as off-the-cuff as it’s name would imply, the remaining tracks are all sonic heroin of the rawest grade, resinous, dirty and life-threatening.