Artist: The Bianca Story
Title: Digger
Genre: Alt-Pop
Release Date: 29th November 2013
Label: RAR/ Motor Entertainment
Album Review
There are not many bands out there who deserve a musical category of their own, but THE BIANCA STORY from Switzerland put their collective hands up and claim a leftfield niche for their greedy selves. It’s pop, most definitely, but slippery, hard to pin it to an era, genre or any obvious influences. Like ARCADE FIRE, they exist entirely in a universe their own, throwing in some alternative folk here, country there, a smattering of traditional rock and then some knowing, arch lyrics over disarmingly simple song-writing. You have to credit them for, if nothing else, having the cheek to be quite so original, as originality has a rapidly decreasing half-life these days.
New album ‘Digger’ waves hello with opening track ‘Crescendo’, but not discreetly. It’s waving with two arms, giant inflatable hands attached, making you look, daring you to ignore its downright audacity. A gentle swoon and swell soon give way to what sounds like JOHNNY CASH singing in a bathtub, while in the background there’s a lost ENNIO MORRICONE soundtrack. Easy to imagine dusty tumbleweeds brushing knackered old horses while a chorus of sad cowboys sway on a distant hilltop, as this achingly beautiful song plays out. It’s very, very good. ‘Glück Macht Einsam’ is more upbeat, scattershot drums over sparse piano and an irresistible chorus of “Glück, is a nasty lover…” It’s another of those head-invaders, and it’ll rattle around in there until you give in and start singing that damnable chorus line. Altogether now!
‘Guns And Kisses’ sees Anna Waibel’s vocals added to the mix. It’s got bounce and melody to spare and is oddly seductive, the vocal interplay with Elia Rediger smooth as it comes. ‘Does Mani Matter’ has crazy, dirty singing over a sleazy backing track, frighteningly reminiscent of the David Brent dance in TV show ‘The Office’. Hard to hate it though, it’s so tongue in cheek you can almost hear a laughter-track. Elsewhere there’s a Phil Spector-ish sixties feel on ‘Neon Sand’, gorgeously honed on ‘No Fire Without A Flame’ and some clever lyrics abound on the quirky ‘You Sir’. ‘Universe’ is a more straightforward pop song, but with a growly rock riff driving it along, another memorable chorus and some backing “Whoohs!” just preventing it’s fall into, gasp, mediocrity.
But everything gets seriously huge by the time of ‘Gilgamesh Must Die (Pt1)’. A sprawling guitar intro and some subtle percussion get things going, male and female vocalists trading verses before joining together for a brooding chorus as things start to build. It’s dreamy but muscular, a fabulously constructed song, no one part outstaying its welcome, and it’s the crowning glory of these curious and engaging mini-suites. ‘Cheerleader’ completes things, a prancing, preening jewel of a pop song, effortlessly delivered, and by this point it just feels like joyous showing-off. ‘Digger’, as a whole, showcases an endearing, confident originality and a breathtakingly diverse set of songs. Good for them, and good for all flagging musical genres everywhere.
Tracklist
01. Crescendo
02. Glück Macht Einsam
03. Guns And Kisses
04. Does Mani Matter
05. Neon Sand
06. No Fire Without A Flame
07. Kick Back
08. You Sir
09. Universe
10. Gilgamesh Must Die! ( Pt 1 )
11. Dear Dead July
12. B/W
13. Gilgamesh Must Die! ( Pt 2 )
14. Cheerleader
Line-up
Anna Waibel – Vocals
Elia Rediger – Vocals, Guitars
Fabian Chiquet – Keyboards
Joel Fonsegrive – Bass
Lorenz Hunziker – Drums
Website
http://www.thebiancastory.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/thebiancastory
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
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