The Cave Singers
Welcome Joy
(Matador)
****
A warm, reflective trip filled with minimalistic guitar, soft and inviting drumming, and whispery vocals, Welcome Joy isn’t so much joyous as it is serenely blissful. Seattle’s Cave Singers belong to that current wave of folk bands whose albums make a point of sounding like they were recorded in a barnyard or around a campfire (albeit with the very best sound equipment) — but they do it a lot better than most. You can listen to Welcome Joy in one of two ways: you can put on your headphones and get swept away by its soft layers, or you can use it as background music that enhances conversation without overwhelming it. “Hen of the Woods” squeezes the album’s essence into one song: a noodling guitar begins things perfectly, and it only gets better when it’s joined by a steady drumbeat and Pete Quirk`s delicate vocals. This isn’t an album of standout tracks, though — it’s about a sustained overall mood, one you can only fully appreciate if you listen to the entire thing.
CURTIS WRIGHT
0 comments:
Post a Comment