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Dignan
The Guest (EP)
©2007 Bearded Beauty
Ah, the age of digital downloads
is upon us...I never thought I would be actually saying that. In an age of mp3's and ipods, the future of the hard disc CD
is uncertain. What is certain, at this point is the concept of a record is still in tow. I downloaded Dignan's ep from diskrevolt.com,
transferred it to my itunes library, synched my ipod and added the tracks, and away I went. With all of the distractions of
life and family, it took me a few listens for it to permeate my skull.
Hailing from McAllen, Texas, a veritable stone's
throw from the Mexico border, comes a band claiming their influences between The Arcade Fire and mewithoutyou. There is a
maturity factor in the orchestration of the song structures that caught my attention. At times, the keyboard, bells, and almost-whispering
vocals provide the backdrop ("Officer"), and then gang vocals swell with full band support ("Curtains" & "The Guest").
Actually the main vocalist on "Curtains" reminds me some of Chris Martin of Coldplay. "The Guest" incorporates an accordian,
trumpet, and trombone into the mix with a slight Sufjan Stevens eclectic feel. I want to say this is the strongest track,
but I would be remiss of the whole.
I'm impressed by their sound. Unsure of their tenure as a band, this a solid effort
for an independent band on a new indy label. Myspace is a great home for many a band/artist, whether small or signed, but
it's easy to get lost there. I hope Dignan can rise from the pages of myspace and the sonic wasteland that tends to squash
the musical dreams of many artists and bands. They have a promising future.
8.5 of 10 clicks
thecannyshark
Sept 2007
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