Customer Reviews

Wind-Up Canary

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

 

 

This album is a blast from start to finish.
Dienel's compostions are fun and bright, her sence of melody is whimsical. Her lyrics tell stories about eccentric and interesting characters. To me this album is like a long lost friend. i can imagine myself listening to this in 30 years and thinking of it fondly. Highlights are "All or nothing" sounds like a lost Carole King composition. "Baby James" which reminds me of the Asylum Street Spankers, (maybe its the clarinet?) Doctor monroe, and Frankie and Annete are rich short stories set to cabaret music. and "the coffee beanery" what a cute song!!... From what i read about her she likes Pavement and David Bowie... oh yeah, she's cool. "Stationary" is the only song on guitar... and its a dreamie summer love lost song... smiles. is she still bemoaning losing the James mentioned in track 3? (I can't shake you off, no matter how hard I try. Cant just pick up my pen and write about something else.)

It was described to me as similar to Regina Spektor and the decemberists... by the people at AAM put on her bio paragraph...I gotta say, I dont hear that... (maybe fat old man, is her most regina spektorish) It reminds me most of Blossom Dearie. Maybe a little like Nellie Mckay when she reigns in her imagination and creativity and actually writes a pop song. Also check out Rory Stitt from Juneau, Alaska if you like this.

I had the pleasure once of running sound for Casey at a theater that I managed once. It was one of the most pleasurable experiences of my life. She was one of the best performers, best songwriters, and a wonderfully sweet and beautiful woman all wrapped up in one.

I had never heard her before and since that night (When I purchased this album from her for a discounted price), I listen to this cd quite often (And that was three years ago when I worked with her.)

Her stage presence was wonderful and the lyrical quality was astounding. The only disappointment when I got the cd was that it was missing a song that she played live that I would have loved to have been able to hear again.

The album opens with a fun and light song called "Dr. Monroe that mixes great vocals, simple and fun melodies with a rather interesting yet minimalistic piano part.

The highlight to me is the track entitled "Frankie and Annette" which tells the story of two young lovers and problems they face in our society as well as well as growing up in this world. With a few slyly placed metaphors that actually made me smile and laugh when I saw her sing this tune live.

She is now releasing albums under the name "White Hinterland" and recently I DLed the first one from Amazon here and, although I do not care for it as much as this one, it is still a valued member of my collection.

Worth every penny my friends.

Sounds like: A happier version of Fiona Apple at the piano. This is upbeat female rock, very nice. This is very lounge-rockesque.

1. !!!! Nice beat. This is the kick-off of the cd and a great start.
2. !!
3. !!! This is like a song that you'd hear at the Gaslight Theatre to go along with a great stage-show.
4.!! A slower song that flows beautifully. This one sounds a lot like Fiona Apple, although the lyrics are not as subtle and poignant as Fiona Apple's.
6. If you know what it's like to work at a coffee shop, you'll like this song.
9. For some reason this sounds like it's being sung from a bathroom.
11. Very jazzy, she brings in a trumpet and drums for this song.
12.!! She has her very own La La song! Unlike Ashlee Simpson's, this one is very good but slow. Mellow and flowy, it makes me wanna la la.
RIYL: Neko Case, Beth Orten, Calexico, Fiona Apple

Casey Dienel's debut album (and at the time of writing, only solo album), is a glorious revelation. Best described as an amalgamation of Fiona Apple and 1920s Jazz Princess Annette Hanshaw, Casey displays a musical maturity and skill far beyond her young years. Especially of importance is how good this record sounds upon repeat plays - the music is sparse, yet almost verges on cabaret - the entire enterprise is firmly in the mode of 'female singer songwriter', but the genre here seems something else altogether. You really have to listen to it to discover what its all about.

"Wind Up Canary" was recorded as a bunch of demos that were never meant for public release. As such, they accidentally found their way to an obscure record label that decided to release it to the indie music community. That is perhaps also the reason why so few copies of this album are in existence (if you own a first press copy, count yourself lucky), and why the current prices of available copies are so extraordinarily high.

Onto the music - the indie music world was first introduced to the albums' only single "Doctor Monroe", a giddy 1940s inspired musical ditty that is lush with happy instrumentation, layered with Dienel's exuberant vocals. Its a great introduction to what this album is all about, but not totally defining. Slower ballads, such as the closing scorcher "The La La Song", as well as the poignant "Frank and Annette" are absolutely bewitching. But the album comes into its own when it attempts more enthusiastic melodies, and goes all out in embracing the jazz/blues genre.

Dienel's vocals are surprisingly solid - but ultimately not very memorable. I would say that she is passable, but since these are actually demo recordings one can forgive the couple of times she is out of tune and the odd occassion where she can't carry a note. Still, she sounds like a happy mix of Fiona Apple (especially the way she ends a sentence) and some Regina Spektor thrown in. However, unlike Spektor, the music here is memorable. I've had this for about a year now, and nary a week goes by when I don't play it - its instant pick-me-up music with class.

Casey Dienel eventually went on to form a band called White Hinterland (try finding their stunning debut "Phylactery Factory" here), and it was a quieter, more toned down affair, more reminiscent of that Scarlett Johansson record "Anywhere I lay my Head" than anything else. Its a great album, but Dienel hasn't quite been able to capture the freshness of this debut album. Think of it as a fine accompaniment to Fiona Apple's debut album "Tidal". This is a beautiful album, it holds up beautifully with time, and deserves an instant place in your collection.

Five Stars. Highly recommended for fans of Majandra Delfino, Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple and Maude Maggart.