Wow! As far as first impressions go, Vancouver’s Vonnegut Dollhouse scores big points on the packaging of their debut disc, Ornamental Etherworld. If you’re the type of person who selects wine based on the pretty label (and you know who you are) then this disc is for you. Ornamental Etherworld’s CD sleeve unfolds into a small dollhouse, complete with walls, roof, interior décor and cut-outs of band members; and the disc itself becomes the living room shag carpet. It kept us amused for quite a while before we actually thought to listen to the disc!
Recorded and mastered by Jesse Gander at Hive Studios and produced by Brandon Edwards, Ornamental Etherworld presents familiar Canadian indie pop fare with adequate doses of weirdness, clever lyrics, pseudo-artsy references to the late, great Kurt Vonnegut, and ear-friendly music. What’s not so typical about Vonnegut Dollhouse is the intertwining of crunchy, 70s jazz-rock guitar licks with electronic keyboards that sound like a cross between 80’s Moog and a church organ.
The disc would be best described as a study in opposing forces. The lead vocals are shared by two members, Daniel Brard (Blam!, Runtun Kata) and Alyson Fun. This practice normally tends to be divisive, but in the case of Vonnegut Dollhouse, the alternating male/female vocals provide a welcome diversity, particularly as Alyson’s voice is rather disquieting.
With 8 tracks, the disc reaches its apex half way through the 5th song: “Ugly Kids Steal Bikes”, after both vocalists finally clam up and let their instruments do the talking. That’s when Chris Cantrell (The Unwelcoming Committee, Runtun Kata) metaphorically sets his guitar on fire. Expertly supported by Jakub Svoboda (Transylvanian Polka) on drums, James Ford (Blam!, The Unwelcoming Committee) eagerly douses the flames with funky keyboards on the next track, “My Heart is a Partition, Your Hand is a Knife”. It’s an excellent song featuring super-crunchy guitars and ending in a tidal wave of surf pop – a strange but aurally satisfying orchestral concoction. Vonnegut Dollhouse set themselves apart by showcasing how beautifully opposites attract. And isn’t that what makes the world go round?