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Album of the Month: Iska Dhaaf’s ‘Even the Sun Will Burn’

The duo's full length debut made for a rocking (and melancholy) March.

Seth Sommerfeld
Author: Seth Sommerfeld
1 min.read

Iska Dhaaf is a finely tuned machine. Even the Sun Will Burn may be the band’s first LP, but it’s clear from the first simmering moments of “All the Kids” that the duo of Seattle music scene vets Nathan Quiroga (vocals, guitar, keys) and Benjamin Verdoes (drums, keys, vocals) has honed in on its own distinct rock style; one strewn with echoing guitar licks (both of the shredding and subtle variety) and crafty beats. After “All the Kids” introduction, the energy immediately transitions into a brooding buzz on “Everybody Knows.”  Quiroga’s tremolo picking gives the song a teeth-gritting tension with a mild tinge of psychedelic rock, and the chorus ramps up to a frenzy that begs to be sung and clapped along to en masse. While the first two numbers blister out of the gate, Iska Dhaaf slows up and takes its foot off the pedal so nothing but the haunting murmur of the engine remains. In the more restrained sonic space, the duo (with the help of some friends) experiments with light guitar and vocal melody mirroring (“Two Ones”), heavy electronic organ bombinations (“Sullen Eyes”), and head swaying string arrangements (“Same Indifference”). It’s a diverse palate, but the core musicality remains consistent in tone.

Bravado permeates every corner of Even the Sun Will Burn’s musical sound, but a sense of longing prevails in the album’s lyrics. Quiroga’s confident delivery partially acts as a mask hiding the woeful nature of the words he sings. The songs tell of a lost soul, an incomplete half of a whole (“Two Souls”), looking for a distant comfort even if that means sacrificing one’s self (“Dependency”). Tracks like “Same Indifference” mix a palpable sense of fear and submission (“I’m afraid of becoming who I actually am. / Bleach my brain, clean my memory, drench my soul in alcohol.”). Even simple moments of beauty carry bear signs of darkness with lines like “It’s a moonless night. You keep crawling into my heart” (“Moonless Night”).

Iska Dhaaf took care to make sure its debut didn’t feel rushed. Even in its most melancholy moments, composure takes the forefront. As a result, Even the Sun Will Burn radiates an uncommon intelligence and hints at more razor sharp tunes to come.

Also check out: Posse – Soft Opening (Sloven rock with the tiniest touch of twee.)




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Seth Sommerfeld
Seth Sommerfeld
Assistant Editor (Arts) Seth Sommerfeld runs the arts department at Seattle Met, crafting the magazine's On the Town section, editing the Culture Fiend blog, and contributing to reader service features such as “The Ultimate Seahawks Guide” and the front-of-the-book department, Mudroom. Seth has written about music and culture for Rolling Stone, Spin, Pacific Northwest Inlander, Charleston Post and Courier, Syracuse Post-Standard, and Billings Gazette. He also extensively covered the NBA Draft for years for Fox Sports and NBADraft.net, and was published as part of Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology. Originally from Billings, Montana, Seth first lived in Washington while earning an undergraduate degree in journalism and broadcasting at Gonzaga University. He followed up those studies at Syracuse University, where he earned a master’s degree in arts journalism.