ARTIST: De Novo Dahl
TITLE: Move Every Muscle, Make Every Sound
LABEL: Roadrunner
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 218kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 52m total
RELEASE DATE: 2008-03-25
RIP DATE: 2008-02-27
Track List
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1. Shout 3:07
2. Heartbreaker 3:43
3. Means to an End 6:06
4. Make Some Sense 3:54
5. Be Your Man 1:50
6. Shakedown 3:05
7. Marketplace 5:33
8. Sky is Falling 3:40
9. New Hero 3:37
10. Wishful Thinking 4:06
11. Subject of the Kill 3:48
12. Been Kept Up 4:02
13. Not to Escape 5:41
Release Notes:
De Novo Dahl's namesake, Roald Dahl, is not only a master of promoting childlike
wonder in tales about telekinesis, candy wonderlands, and giant fruit, but also
a deft chronicler of adult vanities. De Novo DahlÆs joining of childlike awe and
astute adult observations does about as much justice to the Dahl name as any
music could. The bandÆs 2005 release, Cats & Kittens, was a two-disc set, the
second disc remixing songs from the first. At shows in support of Cats &
Kittens, De Novo Dahl had Humane Society booths so concertgoers could adopt
animals in need of homes; at other gigs, the band has dressed up in cowboy
attire while serving Italian food (spaghetti Westernùget it?! ha!). This is
definitely a rock band with a super sense of humor.
Move Every Muscle, Make Every Sound might seem like the title of a straight-up
dance record at first, encouraging listeners to shake their hips and squeal with
excitement, and the album certainly does that throughout. But the disc also
slows down for a few ballads, which may make you sway but will also make you
think, featuring some introspective lyrics about interpersonal relationships.
Funky seventies grooves and boy/girl alternating vocals mix with laidback
electronoise and cushy melodies suitable either for going out on Saturday night
or chilling out on Sunday afternoon.
Perhaps the biggest problem with Move Every Muscle, Make Every Sound is that it
lives up to its title a bit too much. Tons of diverse sounds, from guitars to
horns to vocal layers, show up in almost every song. Using the same instruments
and overall vibes over and over makes too many tracks feel similar. As De Novo
Dahl's last album suggested, this band loves to take a theme and run with it,
"reinventing" the same sounds with only minor tweaks. Nevertheless, the record
as a whole remains a fun listen that's worth checking out.