I came across, “The Rider-Waite Deck” on Spotify’s Release Radar awhile back and have had it in my favorites playlist since then. There is something compelling about Ichabod Wolf’s (Kieren Smith’s) resonant, fatalistic voice recite-singing the lyrics. The lyrics tell the tale of man who has been beaten hard by love and who goes on a Fool’s journey (title reference) to be catalyzed and alchemized to move on from it. Definitely has a Tom Waits flavor to it.
Ichabod Wolf is brand new to me. I’ve only heard this song so far. I’m definitely intrigued enough to want to hear more. The band (he?) has three albums:
Carry On, Crow (2018)
Too Good to Be True (2024) – this song is on this album
Live at St. Leonards (2025)
Go Duck Going, I found a decent write-up:
Derbyshire Times from 2022
The Rider-Waite Deck
When I arrive in hell
With the whistles and the bells
Befitting my ascension to the throne
Incite the instinct to rebel
With sacred secrets I would tell
Dissenting seeds have already been sown
A revolution soundtracked by the rattling of bones
I was torn between two worlds
The sacred and profane
In one world I was deaf and dumb
The other blind and lame
I was trying to up the ante
But I’d already lost the game
There’s a certain skill in knowing when you’re beat
This life’s a lonely chorus line of softly shuffled feet
Another loser in the lie of love
The blushing bride has butchered the bouquet
Playing he loves me not till only stalks remain
A fitting tribute for a grave
I’m off to join the monastery
Don’t even try and stop me
With a vision of the man I want to be
But the monastery won’t take me
Say I’m just too goddamn lazy
So I left that place no longer on my knees
When I finally found the light switch
There was nothing much to see
I gave up all my possessions
And in a feat of misdirection
Come out the other side a millionaire
I’d tell you how I did it
But I don’t think you’d want to hear it
From where you are I guess it’s hard to care
There’s a bubbling at the bottom of the barrel of despair
Another loser in the lie of love
The restless groom turned heel and run away
He vows to live out his remaining days
Letting the chips fall where they may
And there’s the crux of things
How true love conquers everything
Once said in jest
I’d never guessed
Now I know it to be true
On baited breath
And beating wing
Each silent soul now moved to sing
They will reject
All loneliness
To be born in love anew
Written and performed by Kieran Smith
Produced by Martyn Stonehouse
Drums by Tom Didlock
Backing Vocals by Leila Hunt and Niki Smith
Recorded at Infirmary Records
Mixed by Martyn Stonehouse
Mastered by Jonny Hooker at Young Thugs
Photography by Hayley Clements
℗ The Adult Teeth Recording Company 2024
ATRC-306
Tao Talk 
Reminds me of Leonard Cohen. I liked listening to it, thanks!
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Cheryl, I can hear that also. Glad you gave it a chance.
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Cool song, Lisa.
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Thanks, Jim. Does JimBobNewM353 mean anything to you? I found this in my spam folder and unspammed it but still didn’t show up. Now I see I have to also “approve” beyond unspam.
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I used to have a very simple email address but it got hacked and the hacker changed my password so I couldn’t log into it anymore. It was very embarrassing as he wrote all of my contacts asking them to send him money for his sick daughter. I just picked an email address the was more complicated hoping I wouldn’t get hacked again.
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OK, thanks for explaining. Just making sure it is you.
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I like this song! It’s completely different….a little Tom Waits…just a little…. His name as well…who was the famous Ichabod? A fictional character?
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Crane from Sleepy Hollow.
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Yes! I don’t know why I couldn’t think of that…good and different song…I like different.
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Glad you like it. It held my attention.
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New one but a good one
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The Rider-Waite Deck is a new name to me. I like that song. It also reminds me I haven’t checked “my” Release Radar for quite some time. I first learned about this curated playlist from you and previously found some good stuff on there. I guess it’s time to revisit! :-)
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Ichabod Wolf is the artist. I listened to RR the other day and see it is a list of people you already follow and then they throw a couple of new ones in there. I don’t remember it being like that before, but… Yes I heard some good’ns in in there again.
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Yep, that’s how it works. It’s pretty neat but for some reason fell off my radar screen – thanks for the reminder! :-)
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This is a great song. And I love the album title “Carry on Crow” (of course). (K)
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Kerfe, I am geeked you know Ichabod Wolf <3 I am following him now on spotify and will listen to Carry on Crow.
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