DAAU ‎– Domestic Wildlife CD

Alternative chamber music played with a punk attitude, that's how the sound was often described at the time. But that was fifteen years ago. Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung became DAAU for short and with each CD they experimented more and more with other starting points, new electronics or unexpected guest musicians. On their fifth CD Domestic Wildlife the group worked for the first time in the composition phase with the two new band members who had been on stage for a longer time: drummer Geert Budts and double bassist Fré Madou. DAAU therefore has an even broader sound, but on this album it rarely leads to more excessive exuberance. The album opens atmospherically with the beautiful ballad Lounja La Gazella and the clarinet also plays an absolute leading role in a number of other strikingly strong melodic pieces.

In the second half hour, the rhythm is regularly increased and then DAAU sounds like that classically trained melting pot that doesn't care about style consistency and pigeonholing. Yet the group only occasionally loses itself in an excessive urge to experiment and the electronics win out over the acoustic virtuosity. But that's nitpicking. DAAU is tighter than ever before in the nicely dancing Highway Tiger and the long title song, in which mood, uptempo fun and a healthy dose of experiment come together perfectly. Pure gain are also the rock influences that are only sporadically present here and the tracks in which the frivolous playing of the accordion is nicely counterbalanced by the double bass. And it remains impressive that you don't miss a vocal line at any time. This may not be the accessible CD that DAAU still harbors within itself, but here a particularly beautiful new chapter is added to an already quite impressive oeuvre.

Label: Radical Duke Entertainment

Country: Belgium

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Circular retainers caused some indents.