The Cave Singers: Welcome Joy
The Cave Singers: Welcome Joy
Also In The News
|
By Matt Fortune. |  |
Monday, 17, Aug 2009 04:07
Matador, out August 17th.
In a nutshell...
Rural, country-ish, ambient, folky, foot-tapper.
What's it all about?
Welcome Joy is the second full-length offering from the Cave Singers - a band whose debut attracted much admiration on the alternative music scene following their impressive first album Invitation Songs.
Who's it by?
The Cave Singers are a three-piece from Seattle - a city that seems to grow groundbreaking musicians at will. Its members are the survivors of various other, contrastingly heavy musical outfits, such as Hint Hint, Cobra High and Pretty Girls Make Graves. For an accessible intro to the Cave Singers, see either Dancing on our Graves or The Seeds of Night. With their sophisticated multi-instrument, alt-country vibes and almost tribal beats, Cave Singers is what would happen if the Bob Dylan and Kings of Leon went to India and discovered inner peace together.
As an example...
"The world rolls by in your sunset eyes." - Shrine
"Down at the cut, the children stand up, they wait for me, like birds in a row." - At the Cut
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
This album is unlikely to slip into the mainstream and may also struggle to sate the expectations of the critics who championed them the first time around, expecting a faster pace when it comes to experimentation and innovation. However, those who like to sit back and don't care whether a revolution is on the horizon will slot Welcome Joy into their CD players night after night. Would make good card game/dinner party/stoners' session fodder.
What the others say
"Welcome Joy is the sound of three musicians not taking themselves seriously but taking their music very much so, which can only be a good thing." - BBC
"Track selection seems arbitrary. The mix is muddy, and sometimes it just seems like the whole thing has either been rushed to completion or cut off early." - Drowned In Sound
So is it any good?
Putting aside comparisons with their debut for a moment, Welcome Joy is a strong record in its own right. Still present are the slightly indecipherable but commanding vocals of beardy frontman Pete Quirk, as well as the band's trademark fast-paced, flawless and ever-rolling riffs.
Although some bands' idea of instrumental experimentation consists of a freestyling freedom of throwing everything into the same pot and hoping it goes well, the Cave Singers' approach is infinitely different. Each instrument, whether it be a harmonica, guitar or bongo, is perfectly choreographed into the flow of their tracks without sounding contrived.
However, the only irk is that not much has changed from Invitation Songs and some tracks here are much more forgettable than others. The aggressive At the Cut and Shrine, which takes an experimental path with almost sitar-sounding solos, are easily stand-out tracks. However, the likes of Townships and VV fail to leave as deep an impression.
Still, there's nothing wrong with more of the same thing and standing alone, Welcome Songs is an accomplished gem of an album that the Cave Singers should be proud to put in their portfolio and makes promises for the future that they are more than capable of keeping.
7/10
Denise Tench