Diamond Watch Wrists

When Prefuse 73's Scott Herren name comes to mind, it's hard not to think of the delightfully chopped vocals and screwed beats of his career- and genre-defining One Word Extinguisher. Similarly, Hella skin-beater Zach Hill utilizes a style of drumming so expansive, maximal and out-there the actual "beats" are buried under impossible fills. Put Herren and Hill together and it would be reasonable to except some glorious cacophony of messy vocals and messed-up beats. Instead, Diamond Watch Wrists, their collaborative project, are calm and subdued, letting the harmonized singing take front seat to Hill's much quieter drumming. Ice Capped at Both Ends, the duo's first record, is pretty decent — you just have to forget who these men are and listen without knowing. Then you can enjoy it for what it is: a layered, textural record not unlike Herren's other project, Savath and Savalas.