The rEPort by Austin L. Ray Mr. Gnome Mr. Gnome (Independent) Boy does this Ohio duo make a lot of noise. In fact, this sophomore EP from Nicole Barille (vocals/guitar) and Sam Meister (drums) sounds more like a mid-career offering from an accomplished hard-rock quartet. Such is the overwhelming nature of the twosome's aggressive-yet-beautiful sound.

You'll never look at gnomes the same way again. Formerly associated with folklore and your grandma's front lawn, they now enter the realm of face-melting guitar riffs, haunting vocals and intricate drum cadences. The Cleveland alternative rock duo Mr. Gnome consists of Nicole Barille's flawlessly blended guitar and vocals and Sam Meister's dexterous drum effects. Mr. Gnome's first release, the October 2005 debut EP Echoes on the Ground, paved the way for their self-titled follow-up EP in December, a five-track exercise in yin and yang - hard and soft, loud and quiet, tidal-wave violent and still-water calm. The group's sound forms a curious amalgam of hard metal rock and softly pensive vocal passages. Bandmates from college, Barille and Meister started jamming together in their spare time. They found that while they liked the dynamics of their larger band, writing and performing felt more natural and fluid with just the two of them. From those one-on-one sessions came the experimentation with the harsh and soft sound that characterizes Mr. Gnome's style. Mr. Gnome's EP starts out with "Truffle Shuffle" and a creeping, staccato guitar sequence, utilizing rhythmic plucking just twangy enough to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic-in-a-blues riff. After "Truffle" plunges into a snare drum cadence all but obscured by powerhouse cymbal crashes, Barille wails unintelligible lyrics in a malleable, feather-light and forceful voice similar to that of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O. With an alternately jarring declamation and ethereal croon, Barille's vocal diversity adds an element of curiosity and suspense to Mr. Gnome's songs. "Barb's Revenge" showcases Meister's talent on the drums, as variety and mutation in drum techniques expand before our ears to dominate the piece. "Chunk of Spine Fur" starts out with a mellow electric-guitar sequence and then launches into a high-speed beat backed by Barillo's vocals. The song transitions from slow, echoing passages into jacked-up scream segments, illustrating how the band earned its reputation for possessing a bipolar sound. The fourth track, "Dr. Cakorkian," maintains full intensity the whole way through, without the band's classic sensitive interludes, unless you count Barille's screaming when the guitar and drums drop out. Warped electric distortion on "Three Long Years" coupled with tricky snare and cymbal sequences contrast with Barille's pure soprano. "I don't know how we started writing so heavy," Barille mused in a December interview with Tucson Weekly. "We really fell in love with the soft/loud dynamic, and I think we thought that was a really interesting way to write - having these really beautiful parts and then just clashing with a much heavier sound." While Mr. Gnome jams harder than most bands on the indie rock scene, there's a subtlety of expression in these songs that takes the group beyond any hard rock or metal label. The album's dark cover art might prep you for harsher music than the band delivers. This is power rock in touch with its softer side, each song like an argument that oscillates between crooned apologies and violent shrieks.

It's inevitable that Mr. Gnome will be subjected to loads of unfair comparisons to groups such as the White Stripes, Deadboy and the Elephantmen, and the Black Keys simply because they share the same minimal lineup of guitar and drums. However, while Mr. Gnome may seem similar to those bands on the surface, the truth is that the group sounds like it's from a different musical universe. The Cleveland due of vocalist/guitarist Nicole Barille and drummer Sam Meister blasts through a set of songs that are much heavier and complex than their sparse instrumentation implies. Barille's guitar growls, moans and grinds along in a fuzzy frenzy that has more in common with the neo-metal of Queens of the Stone Age or Modey Lemon than with the delta affectations of Jack White. Mr. Gnome's songs are fast and noisy, but not sloppy. Extended interludes during several of the tracks lend an almost jammy feel. The music has colorful traces of psychedelia in its textured sound, but even that is juxtaposed through a grimy filter of stoner-rock and caffeine. Adding a brilliant contrast to the musical unrest, Barille offers a strong, calm vocal presence. It's easy to imagine that her style could've evolved out of a fixation on Portishead or Ani Difranco based on her unique phrasing and alternately scary and sultry tone. A female singer who actually sings rather than tunelessly screams, screeches or talks her way through songs, Barille is a breath of fresh air. She can switch from an airy croon to a vehement wail, but she never sounds overextended or out of her range. Despite the bloody title, "Chunk of Spine Fur" is the most laid-back track on the album. Things don't slow down for long, though, as the song evolves from a languid, jazzy jam into a vibrant rock explosion. The closest comparison might be to imagine some surreal duel between Jeff Buckley and the Deftones, but even that likeness falls short. It's rare and refreshing to hear a band that doesn't wear its influences as prominently as a faux-vintage concert T-shirt. ~ Karen E. Graves

Album - Mr. Gnome This release is an editor's pick on Smother.Net Review - The last album I reviewed by Mr. Gnome pretty much knocked me out flat. This self-titled follow-up hits just as hard but without the hangover that results from too much exposure. Tightly written songs weave around trip-hop atmospheres, indie rock guitars, and glamorous female vocals that while eerie are out-of-this-world delicious. There’s a certain darkness and odd dankness that is ladled and poured over the tracks that make up this all-too-quick EP. Mr. Gnome you’re devilish, awe-inspiring, and something that fans of Tool, Massive Attack, and Portishead can all find in common—and if that’s ever been uttered before I’ll eat my hat.