Tom Good
06/23/08, 06:08 PM
Damiera – Quiet Mouths Loud Hands
Release Date: June 24th, 2008
Record Label: Equal Vision
Back in 2007, Damiera faced a crisis when three fourths of the band split to pursue other ventures, leaving vocalist/guitarist Dave Raymond as the sole remaining pulse of his old band. Raymond picked up the pieces, plucked 2 new band members from Spirit of the Stairway and one from his daytime job as a producer and got back into the studio to record Quiet Mouth Loud Hands, the band’s second album and simultaneously its rebirth. The result is a more brooding and slightly more straightforward Damiera that still retains some of the excitement of the band’s debut album.
Upon first listen, the album seems like it take a completely different direction from the band’s old sound. Where are the double lead guitars and stop start time signatures? The answer is that much of the guitar technicality remains, it’s just hidden under a thicker production. The beefier production of Quiet Mouth Loud Hands is so heavily bass oriented that a lot of the higher end is pushed to the background so it might take a treble heavy mix to get the most out of the album. This new production lends itself well to the style but also gives the band a decidedly more pop feeling. With the production comes the introduction of more effects (both vocal and instrumental) as apparent on “Teacher, Preacher”, a large tangent from Damiera’s typical sound. Let’s get it out of the way now, yes, the beginning does kind of sound like a Maroon 5 song, but do not let that be your only opinion of the track because it eventually develops into a pretty good pop song. This track in particular is a pretty good example of the new territory the band explores on their sophomore outing. At first, the poppier sound left me with disappointment and a desire to listen to M(US)IC. The second play, the song didn’t sound so bad. Now, after a great amount of time with the album, I understand the direction Damiera decided to take and realize bands must evolve or the old sound will get stale.
The new sound does not permeate the entire album as there are still a few tracks that will keep old fans happy. The exciting “Nailbiter” and “Chromatica” would fit right in on the band’s debut. This leave Quiet Mouths Loud Hands with a “something for everyone” feel that will please purists while maybe winning over an entirely new crowd at the same time. In fact there is only one song on the album that did not eventually win me over after repeated listens. The album ends on a low note with “Trading Grins”, a borderline Timbaland produced sounding song that falls a little short when taken in context. The song just fails to develop completely and just doesn’t give the same level of excitement as the rest of the disc. Damiera have done it and avoided the sophomore slump while faced with an entire band face lift. Quiet Mouths Loud Hands might not be an album that clicks on the first listen, and if you don’t feel the need to listen to it again, so be it. To do this would be missing out on a solid pop/ post rock record with an incredible spectrum of sounds and growing potential. If this is how the band sounds with little time to get comfortable with each other, I can’t wait to see where the next album takes Damiera.
1. Rainman
2. Quiet Mouth Loud Hands
3. Nailbiter
4. Image And Able
5. Teacher, Preacher
6. Weights For The Waiting
7. Chromatica
8. Blinding Sir Bluest
9. Woodbox
10. Silvertongue
11. Trading Grins AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/artists/showlink.php?do=showdetails&l=2010) | Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/damiera) | Purevolume (http://www.purevolume.com/damiera) | Equal Vision Site (http://www.equalvision.com/)
Release Date: June 24th, 2008
Record Label: Equal Vision
Back in 2007, Damiera faced a crisis when three fourths of the band split to pursue other ventures, leaving vocalist/guitarist Dave Raymond as the sole remaining pulse of his old band. Raymond picked up the pieces, plucked 2 new band members from Spirit of the Stairway and one from his daytime job as a producer and got back into the studio to record Quiet Mouth Loud Hands, the band’s second album and simultaneously its rebirth. The result is a more brooding and slightly more straightforward Damiera that still retains some of the excitement of the band’s debut album.
Upon first listen, the album seems like it take a completely different direction from the band’s old sound. Where are the double lead guitars and stop start time signatures? The answer is that much of the guitar technicality remains, it’s just hidden under a thicker production. The beefier production of Quiet Mouth Loud Hands is so heavily bass oriented that a lot of the higher end is pushed to the background so it might take a treble heavy mix to get the most out of the album. This new production lends itself well to the style but also gives the band a decidedly more pop feeling. With the production comes the introduction of more effects (both vocal and instrumental) as apparent on “Teacher, Preacher”, a large tangent from Damiera’s typical sound. Let’s get it out of the way now, yes, the beginning does kind of sound like a Maroon 5 song, but do not let that be your only opinion of the track because it eventually develops into a pretty good pop song. This track in particular is a pretty good example of the new territory the band explores on their sophomore outing. At first, the poppier sound left me with disappointment and a desire to listen to M(US)IC. The second play, the song didn’t sound so bad. Now, after a great amount of time with the album, I understand the direction Damiera decided to take and realize bands must evolve or the old sound will get stale.
The new sound does not permeate the entire album as there are still a few tracks that will keep old fans happy. The exciting “Nailbiter” and “Chromatica” would fit right in on the band’s debut. This leave Quiet Mouths Loud Hands with a “something for everyone” feel that will please purists while maybe winning over an entirely new crowd at the same time. In fact there is only one song on the album that did not eventually win me over after repeated listens. The album ends on a low note with “Trading Grins”, a borderline Timbaland produced sounding song that falls a little short when taken in context. The song just fails to develop completely and just doesn’t give the same level of excitement as the rest of the disc. Damiera have done it and avoided the sophomore slump while faced with an entire band face lift. Quiet Mouths Loud Hands might not be an album that clicks on the first listen, and if you don’t feel the need to listen to it again, so be it. To do this would be missing out on a solid pop/ post rock record with an incredible spectrum of sounds and growing potential. If this is how the band sounds with little time to get comfortable with each other, I can’t wait to see where the next album takes Damiera.
1. Rainman
2. Quiet Mouth Loud Hands
3. Nailbiter
4. Image And Able
5. Teacher, Preacher
6. Weights For The Waiting
7. Chromatica
8. Blinding Sir Bluest
9. Woodbox
10. Silvertongue
11. Trading Grins AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/artists/showlink.php?do=showdetails&l=2010) | Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/damiera) | Purevolume (http://www.purevolume.com/damiera) | Equal Vision Site (http://www.equalvision.com/)