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Our Diamonds So Quiet
Rating: 6.4 | 0 User Reviews | Send to Friend
By Rick Sieber
Though atmospherics abound on their debut full-length release, local avant-rockers Zelda Pinwheel are just as interested in pushing structural boundaries as sonic ones. Taking cues from progressives old (King Crimson, Rush) and new (Explosions in the Sky), this Philly/Jersey foursome strings out spidery melodies, shifting meters, and ephemeral motifs into brooding mini-epics with titles like “Mice are Burning” and “Daffodils Could Stop.” When their infrequent vocals are present and audible, they often bring to mind Thom Yorke at his most manic, but any chance of deciphering the lyrics (and decoding those wacky song titles) quickly gets lost in the general din. There’s a shoegaze haze over much of the music, and at their most accessible Zelda Pinwheel evoke the noisier end of Yo La Tengo (or the quieter end of Sonic Youth), but for the most part the density and rambling nature of the music preclude any real hooks. A frequently challenging disc, Our Diamonds So Quiet demands active, focused listening in order to really move out of the background music realm; those with the requisite stamina (and a taste for proggy jams) will find it to be a challenge well worth enduring. (earSnake)
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