PALODINE
''GARDEN OF DECEIT''
MARCH 25 2008
46:08
1. Redwinged Blackbird/3:53
2. Scar/3:56
3. Sweet Mouth, Black Heart/4:00
4. Woman Of Cain/3:46
5. Sorrow Has Opened Our Eyes/4:38
6. A Dozen Stones/3:58
7. Revelations/4:47
8. Ways To Drown/5:33
9. Restored/3:19
10. Magdalene/8:19
Michael Aryn /Banjo, Bass, Dobro, Guitar, Keyboards, Omnichord, Percussion
Bill Patton /Vibraphone, Vocals (Background)
Katrina Whitney /Korg Synthesizer, Producer, Toy Instruments, Vocals
REVIEW
by Ned Raggett
Having made a good mark with their first album, Palodine return on Garden of Deceit with another strong effort; if they are still reaching for a full sound of their own, they are well on their way to accomplishing that. Part of it can be heard in Katrina Whitney's singing, sounding darker and stronger than before, a passionate take on country/soul refracted through the amplified blast and involved arrangements provided by Michael Aryn and Whitney. It's not quite Dusty Springfield goes to hell, say, but the opening "Redwinged Blackbird" alone is the kind of song that upends all the staid alt-country conventions in favor of a dark throb that's closer to Earth than anything else. The thanks the band give to Low in their credits is an indicator as well, but instead of the preternatural control familiar from the Minnesota band's work, Palodine here almost play to a wide stage backdrop, their Walkabouts-derived theatricality given a strong new focus all their own. Nearly every song sounds like a drama (or if one prefers, a melodrama) in miniature, with Aryn's guitar drive, alternately a blast and an understated pace, and Whitney's commanding-then-cool singing driving things forward. But for all that the songs retain their individual identity rather than melting into each other; the end-on-a-tense-note cut of "Sweet Mouth, Black Heart" sounds little like the rolling shuffle of "Woman of Cain," especially with Whitney's sudden clipped calls signaling when Aryn cranks the volume in a dark strut. With other highlights like "A Dozen Stones" (with Aryn's solo a suddenly thrilling delight, a moment of lightness that definitely casts shadows) and the concluding "Magdalene," as moody but vibrant an album ender as one could hope to, to its credit, Garden of Deceit is Palodine's best moment yet and promises much for next time.
ABOUT
Children of Coal Miners, Southern Preachers and Mormon Immigrants don't usually make for good rock music candidates, but in the case of Palodine they bring with them an underlying power and intensity which tests the boundaries of dark American music. Before meeting each other, guitarist Michael Aryn and singer Katrina Whitney had virtually parallel music experiences. Both had dabbled in shoegazer, gothic, experimental, folk and country projects. When they began playing together, their musical kinship became readily apparent and their influences quickly formed into their own unique sound. They met Jason Brooks only a few months later whose southern spirit and ability to play multiple instruments as well as sing harmony was exactly what was needed to complete their vision. Within a few months of forming, enough material had been written for a full-length record and they began laying down material on an archaic 8-track analogue recorder. They self-produced and mixed the record on an unheated floating barge in Seattle's Lake Union during one of the coldest weeks in the city's history. Alternating in mood from fierce to somber, Desolate Son is an edgy and provocative portrayal of violence, remorse, and final words.
DoWnLoAd
''GARDEN OF DECEIT''
MARCH 25 2008
46:08
1. Redwinged Blackbird/3:53
2. Scar/3:56
3. Sweet Mouth, Black Heart/4:00
4. Woman Of Cain/3:46
5. Sorrow Has Opened Our Eyes/4:38
6. A Dozen Stones/3:58
7. Revelations/4:47
8. Ways To Drown/5:33
9. Restored/3:19
10. Magdalene/8:19
Michael Aryn /Banjo, Bass, Dobro, Guitar, Keyboards, Omnichord, Percussion
Bill Patton /Vibraphone, Vocals (Background)
Katrina Whitney /Korg Synthesizer, Producer, Toy Instruments, Vocals
REVIEW
by Ned Raggett
Having made a good mark with their first album, Palodine return on Garden of Deceit with another strong effort; if they are still reaching for a full sound of their own, they are well on their way to accomplishing that. Part of it can be heard in Katrina Whitney's singing, sounding darker and stronger than before, a passionate take on country/soul refracted through the amplified blast and involved arrangements provided by Michael Aryn and Whitney. It's not quite Dusty Springfield goes to hell, say, but the opening "Redwinged Blackbird" alone is the kind of song that upends all the staid alt-country conventions in favor of a dark throb that's closer to Earth than anything else. The thanks the band give to Low in their credits is an indicator as well, but instead of the preternatural control familiar from the Minnesota band's work, Palodine here almost play to a wide stage backdrop, their Walkabouts-derived theatricality given a strong new focus all their own. Nearly every song sounds like a drama (or if one prefers, a melodrama) in miniature, with Aryn's guitar drive, alternately a blast and an understated pace, and Whitney's commanding-then-cool singing driving things forward. But for all that the songs retain their individual identity rather than melting into each other; the end-on-a-tense-note cut of "Sweet Mouth, Black Heart" sounds little like the rolling shuffle of "Woman of Cain," especially with Whitney's sudden clipped calls signaling when Aryn cranks the volume in a dark strut. With other highlights like "A Dozen Stones" (with Aryn's solo a suddenly thrilling delight, a moment of lightness that definitely casts shadows) and the concluding "Magdalene," as moody but vibrant an album ender as one could hope to, to its credit, Garden of Deceit is Palodine's best moment yet and promises much for next time.
ABOUT
Children of Coal Miners, Southern Preachers and Mormon Immigrants don't usually make for good rock music candidates, but in the case of Palodine they bring with them an underlying power and intensity which tests the boundaries of dark American music. Before meeting each other, guitarist Michael Aryn and singer Katrina Whitney had virtually parallel music experiences. Both had dabbled in shoegazer, gothic, experimental, folk and country projects. When they began playing together, their musical kinship became readily apparent and their influences quickly formed into their own unique sound. They met Jason Brooks only a few months later whose southern spirit and ability to play multiple instruments as well as sing harmony was exactly what was needed to complete their vision. Within a few months of forming, enough material had been written for a full-length record and they began laying down material on an archaic 8-track analogue recorder. They self-produced and mixed the record on an unheated floating barge in Seattle's Lake Union during one of the coldest weeks in the city's history. Alternating in mood from fierce to somber, Desolate Son is an edgy and provocative portrayal of violence, remorse, and final words.
DoWnLoAd
