Customer Reviews

Oh Vanille / Ova Nil

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What first caught my interest with this album was the cover art. Diane made it herself, from what I understand. Like the rest of the recording, it is elegant and weird. Devendra Banhart lauds Diane's lyrics, and they are overall beautiful and moody, like the tunes. Cluck plays the guitar wonderfully well, in such a layered, rich fashion that you want to listen to tracks over and over again to catch everything. "Have I told you how I like to see a man submit to ecstasy, will all his inhibitions free, and moaning like his mother?" she sings on one track, and it just gives you goosebumps. (What'd I tell you about the weird!) I can't choose a favorite song, but the last one, "Wild Deer at Dawn," is such a lovely close, it really makes your heartbeat as steady as the person's in the song. "Beat...beat...beat..." and it segues off into silence and you're just sitting there content. I can't recommend this recording enough, I will make all my friends buy it. It's simply too good to let fall beneath the cracks, and 500 copies is really too small a number, though it does make one feel special for having it. Thank you Diane for this marvellous work.

Perhaps it's not fair to review a studio album, not having seen a songwriter who's supposed to be defined by her live performances. But folks who fell in love with "Macy's Day Bird" will fall all over themselves for her Important Records debut. No extra instruments or layered tracks here, though we do get some voice-over harmonies on three or four of the songs. What we get instead is the unadulterated essence of Diane Cluck's remarkable voice, and some of the best writing you'll find these days. I privately give this five stars, and consider it in the running for best relesae of 2005, but its minimalist, semi-lo-fi nature might be off-putting for those used to 24 tracks of production in everything they throw in their ears. Consequently, the four stars represents the tiniest "caveat emptor," but if you don't get what's going on here, it's your loss. An insanely beautiful album.

Diane Cluck is the best. Except for one reviewer, it seems like it should have been 5 stars all around. Those (except for one) who did not award 5 stars seemed to be sensitive and intelligent listeners (which is not prerequisite) who truly appreciate this music. Actually, they seem to be familiar with the artist. Loring Wirbel, you did not convince me this is not a 5 star album! You even said you give it 5 stars "privately," go ahead and make it public! Diane Cluck is the best of the songwriters categorized as folk-rock, indie-folk, "freak folk," antifolk, etc. I wish we could hear much more from her. She seems to have purposely steered clear of the limelight, but the music is undeniable when you hear it. "Authenticity" seems to be a necessarily subjective concept, yet this music is "real." She is an absolute poet and creates inventive accompaniment for herself while always giving a heartfelt performance. Live performances are simply not to be missed. This is probably her best recording to date. The world waits for more.

She does the minimal solo thing much more effectively then one of her overrated influences, and her vocal command is impressive if slightly abused. However, this is still one of those albums to help listeners familiarize and make future investments in the artist rather then being a complete success in and of itself.

If you can appreciate Diane Cluck's 70's style, flower power voice - buy this album. I don't listen to her that often, cause you have to been in a weary ...somber... relaxing kind of mood to really enjoy it, but it is my favorite album when I am mellow enough to listen to it.

She harmonizes really well with her guitar and with her own voice when she sings her own back up vocals on a couple songs. The best example of this is on the track "Easy To Be Around." Well, I think it's just her on that track. Maybe it might be another girl... who knows and who cares, i'm still impressed.

Another thing, her lyrics are a little weird, like the:

"have I told you how I like to see a man submit to ecstasy, with all his inhibitions free, and moaning like his mother."

That's a line from 1/2 A Million Miles From Home. It's weird, but good in a poetic kind of way. I just haven't exactly figured out what she means by that, and because some of her lyrics are so odd, I don't show all my friends her stuff. Reason being, this album isn't for everyone.

But if you like Devendra Banhart, camp fires & marshmellows, this might be what you're looking for.