Dianogah

qhnnnl

[4/5]

Chicago two-bass post-rock trio Dianogah’s fourth album requires patience to get the reward, but the payoff is their largest to date. Guest musicians Andrew Bird (violin) and Stephanie Morris (vocals) make a tremendous impact on the tracks where they appear, providing a timbre and color otherwise absent. Their melody and delicacy conceives an entirely new personality for the group, gilding the epic rhythmic push/pull with undocumented warmth like sunshine peeking through the clouds. Mark Greenberg (the Coctails) lends his keyboards to a couple numbers as well, though the effect isn’t as dramatic, and the shouted, post-punk vocals in “You Might Go Off” are particularly off-putting. The urge to experiment even extends to those few songs without guests-like the title track, which winds its percussive angularity tight as a magnet, producing malevolence reminiscent of Isis. Back after a six-year hiatus, Dianogah furnishes more than a rehash with qhnnnl. (SOUTHERN) Chris Parker