*****
CRICKETBOWS
DIAMONDS
Delivering frontrunners in the funk, rock and indie genres for decades, Dayton, Ohio has long been a lauded musical breeding grounds. The innovative spirit of the city clearly leaches into the music and arts communities existing there, creating a potent mix of experimentation and artistry. Psychedelic musical wizards Cricketbows are, without a doubt, drinking that water and exist as a pristine example of the industrious spirit of their hometown. Although Diamonds is the fourth collection of songs to carry the Cricketbows moniker, it is the first release to feature a full, live band and frontman and principle songwriter Chad Wells clearly did his due diligence, cherry picking what may be the best, most creative instrumentalists in the city. Co-lead vocalist, flutist and multi-Instrumentalist Aarika Watson, lead guitarist Michael Bisig, bassist Christopher Corn and drummer Jim Ingram round out the band’s powerhouse lineup. For proof of the band’s mastery, look no further than the ‘70s rock anthems “Charcoal” or “Porpoise Song.” If the songwriting content weren’t solid enough, the band enlisted Grammy Award winning producer Brian Olive, of The Greenhornes and Soledad Brothers fame, to capture a mostly live to tape soulful and transcendent performance. Rather than falling in league with other indie bands of their ilk, Diamonds is the kind of arresting record that dashes ahead of the pack and is far more likely to lead to well-deserved comparisons to Jefferson Airplane, Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and other celebrated wind warp- ers. If you’re unacquainted, now is the perfect time to join the band in their dazzling, colorful smoke cloud. (Mosquito Hawk Exquisite Recordings)
-by Tim Anderl, Ghettoblaster Magazine (Issue 41)
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