Diane and the Shell: 30.000 Feet Tarantella

When you have an album where three of your songs are called “\” (I hate finding that line on the keyboard), then you know that all normality has been lost. But that’s not such a horrid thing. This band from Catania, Italy, sound like a cross between the Cure, Coldplay, and Godspeed You Black Emperor! on the jazzy rocker “Last Call”, which has great string accents, but an even better, deeper groove. Meanwhile, “India Tango” is another darkhorse, but a surprisingly good number that gallops along across the sonic plains thanks to some great drumming by Alessandro Munzone. The group seems to know what works in terms of finding a hook, with “Instruments? Set as Required” resembling an urbane cover version of a cult Primus hit. The most challenging or adventurous piece is the eighth track, which weaves some pretty arrangements throughout. Thoughtful at times, the band nails some melancholic gems, especially with the haunting, reflective “Suite for Bancomant”, which brings Sigur Ros or Under Byen to mind. The lone disappointment is how tedious “Scandinavian Landing” is, taking nearly three minutes before hitting any sort of paydirt.