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Spotlight

White Hinterland

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What’s the Deal? Casey Dienel’s vocals have, at first, the depth and phrasing of Jolie Holland and the chirpiness of Regina Spektor. But what makes her band’s debut such an impactful listen are the instrumental counterparts, dissonant strings, and warm piano tones.”Dreaming of Plum Trees” melds a jazzy breeze and Dienel’s inventive self-harmony, while “Lindberghs + Metal Birds” takes flight with a pysch drone and warm organic delays, complementing Dienel’s musings in perfect time.

Who? Dienel, 22-year-old solo artist turned bandleader, is the smart and versed voice in White Hinterland. After releasing her first solo album in 2006, she joined with Matthew Jean-Paul Meyer, Maximillian Haft, and Christopher MacDonald earlier this year to record White Hinterland’s debut album, Phylactery Factory, out March 4 (Dead Oceans). The band has been touring with label mates Phosphorescent, and will open for Bon Iver on the West Coast leg of their tour.

Fun Fact: Dienel says the Phylactery part of her album title came to her in a dream, and she liked the idea of an object with symbolic meaning transferred to it. So what the hell is phylactery? Most commonly used to describe tefillin, a combination of leather straps and black cubes worn by Jewish men during prayer services, the word can also mean “an amulet, charm, or safeguard against harm or danger.”