duggup

Artist: The Cave Singers
Website: www.myspace.com/thecavesingers
Track Name: Seeds Of Night (from Matador Records)
Playback: mp3/flash
Download?: Yes/No

I was reading an email from Other Music a week or so back and noted the good things that they had to say about “The Cave Singers” debut album…

…is one of those rare records that words can’t really do justice to. Haunting, thrilling, often chilling, Invitation Songs is just that, an irresistible invitation to join them in the dark and dreamy world that their music inhabits. In these retro modern times, it’s nothing new to hear a hushed album like this, built around finger-picked acoustic guitars, brushed drums and intimate, emotional vocals.

Finger picked guitars and delicate drums, well that was enough to make me check them out and have a listen and “Seeds of Night” made me keep going and check out the rest of the album.

It gets better, the band claim that they never listened to much folk music and never really intended to play folk music, although the fact that their guitarist didn’t take up guitar until recently is right in the folk tradition. I should point out that we are talking an American Folk tradition here rather than the UK version.

The review didn’t disappoint, the guitars are beautifully played and layered and the drums are a dichotomy of delicately brushed snares and big woofy kick drums, think of the sound you get when you kick a big empty cardboard box (one of my favourite drum sounds). If you want a contrast, head to the MySpace site and have a listen to “New Monuments”, this comes from a dark dark place. Nick Cave is almost jolly compared to this piece. Chillingly wonderful.

Brian J. Barr of The Seattle Weekly wrote…

One listen to Invitation Songs, however, and you’re ready to call bullshit on them. It sounds like an updated version of the Anthology of American Folk Music. Not the graduate-student, learned interpretations of folk music circa 1962, but folk music approached by way of punk rock. It’s sparse, melodic, creepy, and alluring, like the widow mourning graveside in Johnny Cash’s “Long Black Veil”. Guitarist Derek Fudesco’s bottom-end acoustic work sounds like Mississippi John Hurt’s soft, rolling finger plucks. Singer Pete Quirk’s appealingly nasal voice simultaneously echoes Arlo Guthrie and a mosquito’s buzz. And drummer Marty Lund plays like he’s slapping a newspaper on a kitchen table.

This is music you need to listen to. There is a ton of detail lurking around the edges for those who want to work a bit. This band will work it’s way into your subconscious and believe me I know who I would rather have on high rotation in the back of my brain, if it’s a choice between The Cave Singers and and the latest Idol release (I have the clock radio on a commercial radio station so that I will wake up and shut the damn thing of before it puts say “Walking On Sunshine” into my head as the days soundtrack… thank god for MP3 players).

Highly Recommended and in the running for one of my top ten of the year.

thatch is fascinated by guitars, music, guitars, production, silly noises, guitars and used to be a musician. Did I mention the thing about the guitars?
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