When I hear “Nosferatu” I immediately think of Murnau’s haunting German expressionist horror film and Herzog’s remarkably stylistic remake starring Klaus Kinksi. Watching those films, I can’t help but bow to the sheer creepiness of Count Orlok and his disturbingly disfigured physique. Both films are terrifying and cinematically groundbreaking. It’s no surprise then, that when I found out Wise Blood’s newest single was titled “Nosferatu” I was skeptical. Those are some rather large shoes to fill for a bedroom pop act from Pittsburgh. Fortunately, however, Wise Blood stays true to themes of his German predecessors. With swirling walls, layered vocals, and taunting guitar licks, “Nosferatu” definitely has a dark side to it, but at times it’s quite comforting. Like the Murnau film we have all seen a thousand times, there are no surprises here, nothing lurking around the corner that we aren’t expecting. Luckily, in this case, that’s a good thing.
