“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore…” Nicole Barille and Sam Meister, the commanding duo behind mr. Gnome, go somewhere over the “melted rainbow” on their captivating 4th studio album. No stranger to concept albums, Nicole and Sam create a masterful sonic flow on “The Heart of a Dark Star”, where hazed and dazed dreamstate refrains alternate with blazing, breathtaking rave-ups.
And don’t be fooled by the goofy-sounding band name; Nicole and Sam kick some serious ass while meticulously crafting their fantastic(al) fantasyland. Cyclical instrumental structures form tight-knit patterns that become familiar – until they shapeshift and fly off in other directions. Standout “Star Stealers” is testament to this fact. It begins with a dynamic rhythm accentuated by Sam’s staccato drumstick taps and Nicole’s light and lean vocal cries. A deceptively calm lull ensues with a slower, marching drum beat and spectral “Oohs” from Nicole. The ending is expansive, with a psych-rock guitar line ascending to the stars amid a rapid-fire blast of drums.
This kind of turn-on-a-dime kinetics makes for an exhilarating listen where the unexpected is to be expected. Short, repetitive refrains burrow into the brain before being blown away by a new sonic template. Nicole bends and blends her vocal tones to the tunes, veering from the keening contemplation of “Dark Star” to sharply fervent exclamations on the surging spaghetti Western “Storm” to a sing-song sway on “Hangunder”.
"Rise & Shine":
The swingin’ “Rise & Shine” features some back porch country twang for about a half-minute before morphing into a high-kicking Sons And Daughters-like number replete with hand claps, Sam’s agile drumkit battering, and Nicole’s kazoo-like vocal inflections. It spins ever faster towards its end, reaching a cathartic peak, before unwinding with the warped chime of a grandfather clock.
Nicole and Sam let it out on the spirited, driven “Odyssey”, which starts off with the ghostly country twang of a hoedown before spiraling out of control with a stomping pace and vigorous clatter of drumsticks. The duo then lifts it up, with exalted dual vocals, on the sustained hymn of “No Place Like Home”.
