dianogah / qhnnnl CD
281461
- oneone
- a breaks b
- qhnnnl
- andrew jackson
- sprinter
- i like juice in a shark suit
- es posible fuego?
- you might go off
- snowpants
- puma
- song you hate
- mongrel
Distortion pedal? Check. Lush strings? Check. Haunting female vocals? Check. Vocals, in general? Check. Soaring guitars? Check. Really loud bits? Check. Is this a Dianogah album? You're darn right it is!
Having spent the last twelve years making music with little more than two basses and a drum kit, Chicago trio Dianogah have decided it's time to mix things up a bit. They brought violinist Andrew Bird into the studio with them (having worked together many times live, but never like this), and vocalist Stephanie Morris (Pawner's Society), guitarist Billy Smith (Hubcap), and Mark Greenberg on keyboards.
Bassist Jay Ryan steps up to the mic on more than one occasion on this album. Sometimes joined by vocalist Stephanie for heart-rending duets. At other times, he can be found shouting along with the rest of the band, "...this is how we fight!" And it's not just the extra added vocals that's new here. Listen to how the band plays with heavy-metal-thunder ferociousness in their instrumental moments, such as on the bombastic title track.
Andrew Bird's violin arrangements add a dimension to Dianogah's song writing that feels as if it was always there - we just couldn't hear it yet.
It all adds up to what is certainly Dianogah's most diverse album, with their esteemed guests adding a subtle counter-point to the band's trademark intensity. The gorgeous melodic quicksand of sound will envelop the listener, the shades of dark and light will engage and surprise, and and the lingering simplicity of qhnnnl's beauty will remain long after each listen.