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My Brightest Diamond
It seems unlikely that a former opera and classical music student would choose to focus upon avant rock, inspired by Antony and the Johnsons and the NYC live music scene, much less end up as one of Sufjan Stevens' Illinoisemakers. But Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond wails with an operatic fervor. Her voice, at once sparse and tense and mysterious, is complimented by barely touched guitars and ominous chimes and strings, warning of stormy seas and haunted houses and terrible earthquakes. The easiest reference points are Kate Bush and Portishead, especially when the songs rely on a sad, gently plodding keyboard or Worden is compared to Beth Gibbons, particularly in their vocal mannerisms.
Bring Me The Workhouse is mesmerizing. It's an album made for lonely night time drives, with gorgeous songs for sorrowful amnesiacs and weeping broken-hearted lovers. Poignant and heartbreaking, the songs are arranged by a deft hand, and create a perfect rollercoaster of orchestral emotion. We, the listeners, are in the palm of Worden's hand, carried from hushed silences to explosive climaxes.
And as such, My Brightest Diamond produce such dramatic, perfectly poised rock epics. The lush music works best when it's a well-oiled vehicle for Worden's expressive, impressive voice -- strings and guitars bolstering her forward and upwards, towards the heavens. Whether she whispers, fluttery, or shrieks like a beautiful banshee, hers is a voice that won't easily be forgotten. When Worden sings, the world seems to stop, turn, and listen.
My Brightest Diamond - Golden Star
My Brightest Diamond - We Were Sparkling
Visit My Brightest Diamond's official site. Buy Bring Me the Workhorse from Amazon or iTunes.
Posted by Queen of the Front Row at 03.10.07 at 9:54 AM
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