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On their stunning debut, the Richmond, VA, foursome can sound as crisp and ethereal as Portishead, as otherworldly as Tom Waits, and as atmospheric as Radiohead.
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All of Denali consists solely of minor-key electric angst, with languid orchestration and predictable compositions. No crescendos, barely discernable choruses, a dearth of interesting dynamics. The result is stagnancy, kids, and it kills the album.
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While Denali have a definite comfort zone -- there are few surprises on the ten-song collection -- the beauty of the album is how easily songs melt into one another, rising and falling where they should, each one ending with a gentle dismount.
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Amidst an arresting collision of angular melodies, fractured rhythms and Davis' overpowering voice, Denali's self-titled debut is awash in the tortured melancholy of a woman whose relationship demons have driven her to the edge.
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Alternative PressThey focus too little on well-made songs and too much on creating an angst-ridden atmosphere. [Jul 2002, p.78]
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While Davis's performance draws from a broad and intriguing range of influences, she has the makings of a singer in a class of her own. And rather than allowing Davis's uniqueness to carry them, the other members of Denali clearly favor a similarly eclectic aesthetic, riddling their music with pleasant musical surprises.
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It's a diverse album in terms of textures, and those extra layers help give the band a developed sound beyond most debut releases.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 1 out of 1
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Mixed: 0 out of 1
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Negative: 0 out of 1
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MarkS.Jul 15, 2002