Domino - Shadows and Dust (Album)
Domino like to experiment. Head outta the gutter, you perv, I mean in music. They’re such creative buggers they’ve invented their own genre!
“Geographically Schizophrenic Rock” is a phrase that may sound strange to some- to others the notion may make perfect sense- but you’ll know the full extent of the phrase after listening to Domino’s debut EP, Shadows and Dust.
Opener Crusader is a freakish-compliment- ramble into as many genres as five minutes and thirty-nine seconds can take. From a Queens of the Stone Age-desert vibe riff to kind of military-call vocals from singer Erica Bowron, it’s the perfect indication of the musical hodgepodge to come.
Arabian Nights is exactly what it sounds like; glorious rock and roll balladry from the Middle East. My only grievance being that, at ten minutes, it is a little lengthy for a song where there is not enough deviation. Otherwise, a whirlwind of worldly sounds from our friends at Domino.
Whipping Boy is the CD fave, clocking up both trademark resourcefulness and a catchy hook I could hang my hat on. It’s in my head now, and it probably will be for the rest of the day.
Domino have always intrigued me for their big ideas, and this EP is only a fraction of what they could do. My only advice would be for Erica not to stretch her beautiful voice; her vox are smooth and strong and beautifully haunting at times, but sometimes her desire for an uninhibited ferocity makes for uneasy vocal stylings, I’m afraid. But I digress. Give them an album deal; let’s see what they can do!
