Reviews

Denali started with Maura Davis, the beautiful singer with an even more beautiful voice, when she approached her brother, Keeley Davis, the singer and guitarist of Engine Down, about starting a band together. The two set out and recruited Engine Down and Sleepytime Trio drummer Jonathan Fuller as well as Cam DiNunzio and thus, Denali was formed. Maura's voice, the style of the band, and the occasional use of electronic samples remind me of some Portishead songs. Most of the music is very quiet and moody; some songs even feature a piano, but occasionally the tracks will pick up into something more powerful, creating the standout tracks on the album like "Gunner", which is also available for download on Jade Tree's website (www.JadeTree.com). Jade Tree's diversity astounds me in that within a month of each other, they can release two great albums: one from Trial By Fire, who combine the sounds of Avail, Kid Dynamite, and Strike Anywhere (very well, I should add), and the other from Denali, who create an album drawing influence from bands like Portishead and Engine Down. If you're into this type of music, you should definitely give this album a listen and try to catch Denali's live show if they play your town.