THE DINING ROOMS ‘INK’

Another great achievement from this excellent Italian group -- an album that's head and shoulders above anything they were doing just a few short years ago! The Dining Rooms seem to deepen their sound more and more with each new record -- hitting a range of tones and colors that take them far beyond their initially simple rhythms, and into a space that's filled with thoughtful lyrics and sensitively-penned tunes! Most of the tracks here hit a groove that's somewhere between mid and downtempo -- about half of which feature vocals by guests who include Toco, Dodo Nkishi, Sean Martin, Renaud Chaure, and George Anne Kalweit. There's a fair bit of Fender Rhodes sliding through the tunes, and some warm acoustic basslines as well -- really grounding the music in a classic sort of style, even though the overall execution is fairly contemporary. Titles include "Ceremony", "Free To Grow", "Thank You", "Fatale", "Ink", "Cobra Coral", "On The Beach", "Hear Us Now", "Etage Noir (parts 1 & 2)", and "Appuntamento A Trieste".