Although Lee Brown Coye passed on over 30 years ago, his stories and macabre drawings live on. His son, Robert Coye, brings some of his late father’s imaginings to life on the spoken word album Where Is Abby? (Cadabra Records). Not only does he do his father justice, but he creates an enjoyable album that can be listened to my generations to come.

The stories on the album are of varying length. For instance, ‘The Undertaker’ is under a minute long but is as much of a gem as any other track. It is one of the only ones where the first person narrative is used. The bizarrely positive aspect of the story is part of what makes the entire album so fun to listen to.

Title track ‘Where Is Abby?’ treads the line between a far away time and modernity. It is part of what makes the tales feel grounded in reality. The story starts off with an observation of how humans hold up against haunting experiences. It also touches upon a theme of the stories; they often happen to a “friend” of the narrator. This way of telling the story was part of Lee Brown Coye’s brilliance. The removed feel from the narrator gives a sort of credibility to the tale.

One of the best developed and most imaginative short stories is ‘The Lincoln Train’. A Twilight Zone type aura figures heavily into the narrative. The story is ghostly but also grounded into history. It is this dynamic that creates a number of great American myths and ‘The Lincoln Train’ is no exception. Both Coyes bring every single passenger on the train to life with the descriptions and how they sound.

The art featured on the album is just as important as the tales. There is far more to Lee Brown Coye’s work than could ever be displayed with an album, but the chosen drawings are a good start. The pictures accurately convey the spookiness and strangeness of the tracks. As can be surmised from them, this album is perfect for the upcoming Halloween season or year-round for those with a special interest in the macabre.

9.0/10

MELISSA CAMPBELL