This Is My Hand

Released in 2014, This Is My Hand represents a significant rhythmic pivot for Shara Nova (formerly Worden) under her My Brightest Diamond moniker. Inspired by the book 'The Other Side of the Island' and the concept of music as a communal, tribal experience, Nova moved away from the more ethereal, guitar-and-string-based compositions of 'A Thousand Shark's Teeth' toward a sound dominated by brass and percussion. The album prominently features the Detroit Party Marching Band, adding a gritty, celebratory weight to the production. Critics noted the album's successful fusion of 'high art' vocal techniques with 'low art' pop structures, citing it as her most accessible yet rhythmically complex work. It sits in the artist's catalog as the bridge between her chamber-folk origins and her later, more electronic-leaning explorations, serving as a masterclass in how to integrate orchestral woodwinds into a modern pop context without losing their classical soul.