DAN DEAGH WEALCAN – Who Cares What Music Is Playing In My Headphones?
- Posted on 23-06-2015
‘Who Cares What Music Is Playing In My Headphones?’ is the debut full-length from this strangely named Ukranian/Russian duo. Their published ethos is:
1 Be unexpected,
2 Be expressive,
3 Do not limit yourself to the arrangements,
4 Do not repeat yourself,
5 Experiment constantly.
The sound is progressive, slightly industrial and melodic, with a punky flavour. Lyrics are clean and programming underlays idiosyncratic guitar lines and repetitive, rhythmic passages.
This kind of reminds me of Devin Townsend meets Tool, meets Porcupine Tree. It is very often unexpected. Unorthodox song parts and strange choice add to the richness of the experience. It is definitely expressive (I love the narrative and emotion behind songs like ‘Dogs in a Box’) and also progressive, with weird little electro-jazz loops. Dan Deagh Wealcan are not afraid to experiment and for the most part it works. Each song has its highs and lows, with vocals ranging from a whisper to an emotional scream. When it works, it is devastatingly effective. Song lines hook into the cerebellum and propagate. At other times (but thankfully not frequently and for example track 5 ‘Neutral Moresnet’) it doesn’t hit the mark and the style becomes a bit tired and fails to interest. This is rare though, and the majority of this record is pure winner.
If you want something different that is still packed with melody and strong songs, try this.