speed of dark

When Colin Meloy sings about the gruesome Shankill Butchers, he does it with a rakish grin and a wink that lets you know it's all in fun. Marry a similar fascination with the macabre to accordion and strings in the gypsy style of Beirut; trade rainy, grey Portland for frigid, grey Minneapolis; and add Nona Marie Invie's lilting vocals, and now you have the ensemble of Dark Dark Dark. Their first full-length, The Snow Magic, dresses ghosts, graves, and other gloomy subjects in jaunty three-quarter time melodies. What little percussion appears is provided by Martin Dosh.

The Snow Magic is highly entertaining for the most part. The first song, "Ashes" sets the tone of the album, with Invie directing the fate of her ashes after death:

“I know you want to scatter my ashes
I know you want to spread them far and wide
Don’t scatter my ashes
I want to run by the seaside.”

The next four are a bit grim and drear but focus on the vocal play between Invie and Marshall La Count, who also plays banjo. However, things pick up and become interesting again with "Ferment in D Minor," as Invie gaily sings, "I want to hold your head under water/Calculate your next breath"; then she and LaCount count dramatically to six to let you know how long you'll have to hold your breath. "Junk Bones" continues delightfully with this lively gothic theme, swinging casually into "New York Song" with its rippling accordion riffs, like something Tim Burton would enjoy:

"Last summer they said it was so, so hot
Two lovers did drown
Their dreams were sunk
While their bodies were lost
Their souls stayed around
They stayed underwater
Most go underground
And they said bein' here is better than wishing we'd stayed"

Next, Invie on accordion and LaCount on banjo divulge the delicious details of "A Spell For Letting Go." Nona goes to piano for "That Light," a lovely waltz-time ditty; and "Trouble No More" brings to mind swirling ruffled skirts and dark, gypsy eyes before it slows to a somber dirge warmed by the accordion. "Winter Coat" gives Marshall and his banjo a turn in the forefront, with Nona floating a high harmony over the top. The accordion and cello tug at your heartstrings as hard as anything on Beirut's Gulag Orkestar did. "All the Things" is wonderfully unadorned, just Nona's voice and accordion, with unusual stops and gentle taps of the accordion keys.

Kudos to Dark Dark Dark for a thematically consistent work that is beautiful, compelling, and well-executed. I think they'd be happy I used that word. I highly recommend. The physical CD also contains an 8-page booklet of photos by Timothy G. Piotrowski, who also took the photo above.

Dark Dark Dark: New York Song from The Snow Magic

Band members: Nona Marie Invie (accordion, piano, vocals), Marshall Lacount (banjo, vocals), Jonathan Kaiser (cello, vocals), Todd Chandler (bass).

MySpace | Website | Label: Blood Onion
Buy at Supply and Demand, Amazon.com, iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule:
Check their MySpace for a schedule of dates in the northeastern U.S. in December.