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Critic's Review
Kieran McCarthy, All Music Guide
Dieselhed's fifth studio album, Chico and the Flute, proves once again why this quintet from Arcata, CA is one of the most subtly brilliant bands you've probably never heard of. By escorting listeners on a mellow, ambient country-rock roller coaster ride, this album weaves through genres scarcely known and genres yet to be defined.
It's hard to explain what makes Dieselhed such an original ensemble. Perhaps it's because their unique sound seems to come to them so naturally. If they weren't singing about Thai food, loaded brownies, and pigeon-feeding, you might feel inclined to classify them as "country." But their energy, their metaphors, their gorgeous rock harmonies, will always keep comparisons to Nashville at bay.
Vocalists Virgil Shaw and Zach Holtzman once again melt together seamlessly, despite vastly different vocal techniques, especially on the multi-layered chorus of "Starting All Over." "Marlboro Man," with a two-chord guitar progression and chorus crescendo, humbly satirizes the values of Madison Avenue. Short instrumentals "Prelude," "Interlude" and "Outerlude" at times bear a vague resemblance to the minimalist epochs of yesteryear Pink Floyd. But their hard rock tendencies never lag far behind, even on songs such as "Homemade Shoes" when a bluesy bassline combines with an edgy guitar line to produce some of Dieselhed's best foot-stomping music ever.
Their greatest talent, however, is without a doubt lyrical. Their verses are some of the most concrete and cleverly mundane set to laser coding. They don't talk about cars, they talk about primer-gray Volvo; they aren't broke, they've sold their guitars to a pawn shop. It's not glamorous, but it is beautiful in its own way. And, in an era where music-lovers are inundated with the likes of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, this brand of homeliness can be quite refreshing.
It's hard to explain what makes Dieselhed such an original ensemble. Perhaps it's because their unique sound seems to come to them so naturally. If they weren't singing about Thai food, loaded brownies, and pigeon-feeding, you might feel inclined to classify them as "country." But their energy, their metaphors, their gorgeous rock harmonies, will always keep comparisons to Nashville at bay.
Vocalists Virgil Shaw and Zach Holtzman once again melt together seamlessly, despite vastly different vocal techniques, especially on the multi-layered chorus of "Starting All Over." "Marlboro Man," with a two-chord guitar progression and chorus crescendo, humbly satirizes the values of Madison Avenue. Short instrumentals "Prelude," "Interlude" and "Outerlude" at times bear a vague resemblance to the minimalist epochs of yesteryear Pink Floyd. But their hard rock tendencies never lag far behind, even on songs such as "Homemade Shoes" when a bluesy bassline combines with an edgy guitar line to produce some of Dieselhed's best foot-stomping music ever.
Their greatest talent, however, is without a doubt lyrical. Their verses are some of the most concrete and cleverly mundane set to laser coding. They don't talk about cars, they talk about primer-gray Volvo; they aren't broke, they've sold their guitars to a pawn shop. It's not glamorous, but it is beautiful in its own way. And, in an era where music-lovers are inundated with the likes of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, this brand of homeliness can be quite refreshing.
