Diftong revives old times
Diftong’s second CD Heart in a Jar as proofs that good Americana music can be made the Dutch polders.
3VOOR12 UTRECHT By: Joost Schreurs 
Saturday October 2 2010 17:56 
Diftong has been part of the music scene for a while. He is one of the two Understate Men and played the bass in a New Wave band in times long past. Traditional American music with a raucous twist is his thing. Not the smooth Dolly Parton sound but the rugged variety as played by Neil Young, who happens to be Diftong’s main inspiration. Three years after the release of his solo debut Robot vs Totempole in 2007, his second album Heart in a Jar is here.
A solo album is hardly ever made alone. Other musicians contributed electric guitar, piano and double bass. Diftong sings and plays guitar, banlo, mandolin and keyboard. The magnificent vocal contributions of Marit Willers, Wineke van Lammeren and Eva Kokken should be mentioned here. They complement Diftong’s singing in the style of Johnny Cash and June Carter in their best years.
As said before, Neil Young’s work was of great influence on Diftong’s music. This is evident on Heart in a Jar but not overruling. A fine song like Hot-shot Superstition could have been a track of After the Goldrush or Harvest for sure but Diftong’s style is more varied without the album becoming a jumble. American folk and country form the basis of all tracks, be it a quiet song like Timberline or the countryrock of Babel with drums and screaming electric guitar. This consistent basis makes Heart in a Jar a pleasant listening experience.
When it comes to his lyrics Diftong also shows his versatility. Humor alternates with melancholy smoothly, like in Cold War was Hot and the subsequent title track. An instrumental reprise of Hot-shot Superstition shows up towards the end of the album (Hot-shot Epilogue). A  well-chosen salute to what I think is the best song of the CD.
Diftong has succeeded in demonstrating how versatile traditional American Folk and Country music can be and he proves that fine Americana can be made in the Rhine Delta as well as in Tennessee or The Rocky Mountains. If you are still enjoying After the Goldrush or Harvest, Heart in a Jar will not be wasted on you.
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Dutch alt.country forum www.altcountryform.nl on Diftong’s Heart in a Jar:
…An honest recording with high quality music that’s pleasant to listen to but never too easy. An adventurous CD full of atmospheric songs that vary in style between folk, altcountry and folkrock… 
…kaleidoscopic mixture of sparkling banjo, piano tunes and the subtle sound of an upright bass….
…Music of a magical beauty. Heart in a jar is an intriguingly sounding album that reaches outside the Dutch borders…
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