Diwata: Dubscapes & Dance Tracks
By Stephen Jewell
Without a press release it's not abundantly clear, but Diwata is a solo project from Tommy's drummer A.J. Hickling. And while the comparisons with the John Butler Trio possibly didn't do Tommy any favours, anyone who avoided the Wellington group's debut album because of an aversion to the Aussie act should certainly not likewise dismiss Diwata. Despite some obvious sonic comparisons, 'Dubscapes & Dance Tracks' - as its title suggests - is a very different beast. Dominated by long, expansive, mostly instrumental ambient tracks such as the blissed-out Song 117, there is variety, Cashel St Part 2 integrating a grungy guitar into the mix. Hickling works with several vocalists including Adi Dick, who conjures the spirit of Fat Freddy's Dallas on the sumptuous opening track First Light and Summer Rain. Well worth investigating, it's out on Sonic Revelations.
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