Those familiar with the avant-garde Swedish ensemble Diablo Swing Orchestra will have an idea of what to expect on the newest insanely eclectic work of music “Pacifisticuffs”. Diablo Swing Orchestra fearlessly puts together a collection of highly entertaining songs that draw inspiration from all kinds of music styles and never fails to surprise the audience.
“Knucklehugs (Arm Yourself With Love)” opens the flamboyant show with a super catchy rhythm featuring many lovely instruments such as cello and trumpets to ensure maximum uniqueness (don’t forget the cute bluegrass moment!) and everything is always embellished by eclectic vocals often engaged in the creation of fancy musical style big choruses.
The artsy music piece “The Age Of Vulture Culture” starts with elegant classical strings delivering pure melancholy but with surprising savoir faire the orchestra shifts to a more carnivalesque concoction with aptly dazzling swing flavors and this track becomes just incredibly delightful with an impressive mix of triumphant trumpets, trombone and smooth strings.
On “Lady Clandestine Chainbreaker” lead vocalist Kristin Evegård leads the scene showcasing her vocal prowess and wide-ranging delivery as the song’s shapeshifting structure favors a catchy melodic chorus as well as cinematic soundscapes where trumpets again hold a rather fascinating role and guitars acquire darker crunchy tonalities.
“Interruption” acquires modern atmospheric flavors and holds loads of surprising variations of pace & style but mainly revolves around Kistin’s multifaceted vocal performance as her voice can be exquisitely dramatic or quite malicious while it seamlessly flows through a stylish intricate instrumentation that towards the end becomes extraordinarily majestic with symphonic vibes.
The brilliant retro swing galore of “Karma Bonfire” cannot be missed as the orchestra crafts an irresistible rhythm full of bombastic trumpets and refined strings that will inevitably force you dance & stomp all night long while the vocal duet successfully matches the song’s exuberant essence.
“Climbing The Eyewall” evokes poetic soundscapes as the strings ensemble provides magnificent layers of dreamy classical melodies spiced up by Kristin’s edgy vocal performance and a catchy rhythmic crescendo that once again holds a witty swing mood but also a contrasting growing darkness embodied by the heavy rock guitar driven core.
It would be hard to find another band that manages to incorporate so many music styles in one album and to execute each song with such exceptional musicianship therefore you should keep an open mind listening to “Pacifisticuffs” and simply join Diablo Swing Orchestra on this wild sonic rollercoaster.