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07.11.07 |
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A Whisper In The Noise |
[music] |
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dry land - cd |
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exile on mainstream |
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To put it beforehand: I tried hard to like „dry land“, the latest offering of Minnesota’s A Whisper In The Noise, but I failed. The first listening was nevertheless promising: the album is instrumented in an orchestral way, whereas the piano is dominating most of the songs. Together with an electric guitar, strings and occasional horns it forms the basis in minor-chords for singer West Thordson’s balads of desperation, loss and lost love. Quiet songs like „as we were“ or „in will“ are doing best in evoking a sombre and grave ambiance, while adding a subtle goth touch to the songs’ americana tinged framework. In the midst of the album, the calm atmosphere is shattered by two louder, heavier and noisier songs intensifying the sinister undertones. Not too surprisingly, “dry land” in it’s best moments recalls the piano excesses of contemporaries Black Heart Procession and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. But unlike their precursors, „dry land“ drifts into kitsch too often. The folks in A Whisper In The Noise are overambitious articulating their emotions, so that their impetus reverses time and time again. For instance, listen to the mannered complaints and pretentious pathos in „a new dawn” or “go now” which let the songs end up in ridiculousness. I’m sure that this was not intended. However, songs like these take the complete album ad absurdum and leave the listener with mixed feelings. Maybe he/she is going to make their own A Whisper in The Noise cds with the better songs only? Not so far off. [phillip]
www.awitn.com
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