After releasing a couple of albums as Awry and joining Sufjan Stevens' troupe of Illinoisemakers (as cheer captain, to be exact), Shana Worden returns from her hiatus as My Brightest Diamond. As with Awry, My Brightest Diamond's debut Bring Me the Workhorse unites elements of ock, classical, and cabaret, showcasing Worden's skills as a classically-trained vocalist and gifted arranger. Her formal training makes itself known in the range and restraint of her songs: operatic vocals and strings are inherently dramatic, but Worden doesn't overdo them. Instead, she uses them just enough to make her modern fairy tales even more evocative. Her shivery singing makes "Golden Star" a standout, while the journey from intensity to serenity on "Something of an End" and "The Robin's Jar" reflect the suite-like movement of many of her songs. While the influences of Björk, Kate Bush, Jeff Buckley, and -- in the case of the languid orch song "Gone Away" -- Nina Simone, can still be heard very clearly in My Brightest Diamond's music, Worden uses them artfully enough that almost anyone who enjoys those artists will like her work too. However, Bring Me the Workhorse also shows an impressive range of moods and feelings, ensuring that Worden never sounds derivative. "Dragonfly" has all the warmth and weightlessness of a summer breeze, the aptly-named "We Were Sparkling" twinkles like an icicle; and the spooky, late-night ock of "Freak Out" adds a witchy edge. Though the second half of Bring Me the Workhorse doesn't have quite as many memorable songs as the first half does, Worden's way with arrangements, and her sweet-but-powerful voice, make the entire album an eerily beautiful experience.
Sitting in the small auditorium in downtown Pittsburgh waiting for the show to start, you could see the Brightest Diamond fans clearly. Animal Collective playing from the speakers brought a sense of being in a strange new land, unkept by earthly laws. The wooden blinking box sitting on the stage added to the surrealism. When Tim Fite came out, he seemed promesing until he started swearing with ...
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Shara Worden is so cute it's a bit nauseating.Thankfully, her voice and musical stylings bring much more to the table than just "cute". On her first release "Bring Me the Workhorse" under the name My Brightest Diamond, she brings us an ethereal mix of rock with undertones of her past experience in opera. That last bit about opera might make you cringe, but somehow it adds an infectious dash o...
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Words fail me.... WOW!!!I have played this over and over today.... riveting...
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or this one, it's a good one. another asshole too. they are easy, you should try it.
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Shara Worden is so cute it's a bit nauseating.Thankfully, her voice and musical stylings bring much more to the table than just "cute". On her first release "Bring Me the Workhorse" under the name My Brightest Diamond, she brings us an ethereal mix of rock with undertones of her past experience in opera. That last bit about opera might make you cringe, but somehow it adds an infectious dash o...
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I went to the Iron Horse to hear one of my favorite bands play, Our Lady Of Bells. They sounded as lovely and fabulous as ever and maybe a little more than the usual fabulous because the lead female vocalist, Jules, moved away from the area a while ago so they haven't played for a bit so they had energy==they were hot. After they finished, My Brightest Diamond, came on and played and that band ...
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Sitting in the small auditorium in downtown Pittsburgh waiting for the show to start, you could see the Brightest Diamond fans clearly. Animal Collective playing from the speakers brought a sense of being in a strange new land, unkept by earthly laws. The wooden blinking box sitting on the stage added to the surrealism. When Tim Fite came out, he seemed promesing until he started swearing with ...
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I am so glad she is getting some publicity, esp. on this site. If more people would just hear about her, she could get as big as Rilo Kiley, or even Arcade Fire! So encourage all your friends to buy the album, don’t share it! Help her keep going so we can have more of her creative and brilliant music.
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i remember, when i was a teenager,laying in my bed, candles lit and dancing their lights across my walls, listening to Tori Amos. My interest in her music sputtered out in '98 or so and there's been this v o i d . but who is this? who is this lady?seems the genius behind the band, my brightest diamond, is a pretty little woman named shara worden, whirling out a musical marathon of jazz, goth...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Something of an End |
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| 2 Golden Star |
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| 3 Gone Away |
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| 4 Dragonfly |
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| 5 Freak Out |
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| 6 We Were Sparkling |
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| 7 Disappear |
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| 8 The Robin's Jar |
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| 9 Magic Rabbit |
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| 10 The Good & The Bad Guy |
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| 11 Workhorse |
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 "Bring Me the Workhorse")
