Diarrhea Planet – Turn To Gold

What can you say about a band called Diarrhea Planet? It’s not exactly an enticing name, however their moniker, the title of the album and the cover don’t seem to gel together. As a result you’re left wondering what to expect from an album that appears to be a mass of contradictions before you’ve even played a note. This Nashville sextet, featuring no less than four six string slingers, have been together for about seven years, Turn To Gold is their third full length release since their debut EP was released back in 2009.

With this latest release they seems to have produced an album that has multiple split personality, Turn To Gold just never seems to settle on one style. The opening track, Hard Style 2, gives the impression we’re in for some serious psyche, by the time you’ve settled in for the ride and got comfy it has faded into Announcement, this surprises you by being a rather agreeable piece of upbeat melodic power pop. The album then lurches between the aforementioned styles and some rock and even into tracks that carry a punky sneer of attitude. Somehow they make these styles blend together into a seamless work which builds up to the final track, Headband, a glorious eight minute wall of sound that is the albums crowning glory.

For a band that has so many guitarists they have thankfully managed to avoid Turn To Gold becoming a series of egotistical guitar solos, as you’d expect the album features a variety of guitar styles, with four guitarists I’d be disappointed if it didn’t, that compliment each other pefectly. The question is, Can something called Diarreah Planet really Turn To Gold? well not quite, but what you get is damn close to alchemy, they achieve a coherent blend of contrasting styles and the result is a varied and original blend of sounds that defies description.

Turn To Gold can be downloaded or ordered on vinyl from Infinity Cat Recordings here