Diarrhea Planet
Turn To Gold
(Infinity Cat/Dine Alone)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
There’s no sense griping about this Nashville band’s non-PC name other than to say it’s likely they won’t be called for Earth Day celebrations. That, and a suggestion to queasy listeners not to steer clear due to Diarrhea Planet’s over-the-top qualities, especially since it’s no more outrageous than having four guitars and three lead vocalists vying for the spotlight.
But what could be a raucous mess is smartly written, well produced and arranged hard rock/power pop with slight prog and punk tendencies. The opening “Announcement” hits those bases; with its message of finding inner strength in the face of life’s adversities, it’s an indication of the rest of the album’s — all credited to the entire six piece — balance of powerful lyrics with a driving attack. The sound, somewhere between Cheap Trick, Blue Oyster Cult and Weezer, grabs elements that twist into razor sharp tunes making effective use of the quadruple guitars without geeking out. While there are lighter moments, such as in “Bob Dylan’s Grandma” where singer Emmett Miller recounts his love of guitars from back in the sixth grade, the majority of these rugged, six-string heavy tracks involve deeper, introspective emotions that never seem flippant or insincere.
Credit the band for crafty songsmithing but also producer Vance Powell. He captures the hard-touring act’s natural energetic interaction by recording the main guitars and drums live in the studio. That dynamism is palpable over the act’s third and most mature full length, but it’s especially evident on its most audacious moment: the closing, nearly eight-minute “Headband,” a suite of sorts that shifts tempos and styles from pensive to blustery as it tells the alarming tale of a protagonist who might be insane.
Clearly this group shouldn’t be defined by their repulsive moniker. Those less offended will find Turn To Gold one of this year’s better rock albums and one that should make DP if not quite a household name, at least one taken seriously.