Pitchfork

I feel unusually qualified to write this review. Ordinarily, Herr Schreiber tosses shit towards my desk that only the bands and their parents know exist. And, not one to disturb a happy stasis, I'll generally pen a review that ensures that things remain that way. This time, though, there are names I actually recognize: namely, bassist Keeley Davis and Mark Linkous, who produced two tracks.

Keeley Davis plays guitar for Engine Down. I had the pleasure of overrating their most recent release, Demure, a couple months ago for this fine weblication. I don't know if Denali counts as a side-project or what, but one thing's for sure: Mr. Davis didn't intend the same guy to review both discs. Not a chance. It would be like submitting the same paper to two classes with the same prof. Or two of the same paper with different names to the same prof for the same class. You get what I'm saying. The point is, effective plagiarism requires cunning; repackaging Engine Down with a female singer and weaker songwriting is neither cunning nor enjoyable.

The surrogate lead for Denali is Keeley's sister, Maura. She pulls that time-tested sultry, tremulous thing all album long, evoking, in her better moments, memories of Portishead's Beth Gibbons. Her melodies match the melancholy mood of her vocal timbre, using protracted, dirge-like lines for an effect that may initially seem haunting, but eventually gets pretty old. All in all, a fairly solid package from the vocalist, if somewhat repetitive.

But the band? Well, from a strictly technical standpoint, they're pretty tight. They benefit, as previously noted, from the production work of Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous on two of the album's ten tracks, both of them sporting a few more ambient quirks than the others. Engine Down's lead guitarist and frontman, Jonathan Fuller, is particularly proficient on drums here, too. However-- and this is a big 'however'-- the band's playing sorely lacks ambition. 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.

Denali aim for angst and melancholy. Problem is, the music is supposed to communicate angst, not cause it. Music that heads nowhere, remaining in a state of suspended animation, brings depression and anxiety to even the most emotionally stable. The result is a long, arduous, and yep, angstful listening experience. If Denali were to wake up tomorrow with some better song ideas, you never know what could happen. But they're gonna need some variation if they ever expect to make a worthwhile record.