I recently had a conversation with a KEXP intern about The Cave Singers. Her basic argument was that “everybody” loves the band. This is true. It’s hard to live in Seattle and not acknowledge the fact that they have a substantial fanbase here. At the same time, bands who appeal to a large demographic tend to do so by doing a lot of things kind of “okay”, while not doing anything really well. The band’s music would be okay at a party, I suppose, but if I’m listening to music by myself, it gets a bit repetitive.
No Witch is at least more interesting than the last album, Welcome Joy. It’s also nice they’ve signed to Jagjaguwar, as it’s one of my favorite labels. The songs here skip along and I occasionally glimpse moments of excitement, but then I make the mistake of paying attention to the lyrics. From the first song, “Gifts and the Raft”: “Even every field that we freed/Even all the days in the haze in the heat/Nothing causes more alarm than your absence from my sheets/Can we agree/Can we agree now/Cheers and gratitude to all and God bless ya/Tears and gratitude to all but who’s listening/Cheers and gratitude to all and God bless ya.” That is just downright painful.
The next song is “Swim Club”. I kind of like it. The lyric “I can feel the future, baby” is great, except that it’s followed by “I can feel it tumbling down your chin” The guitar is a nice noodle of a thing, and the song is pretty typical of the sound of the album. It’s mostly gentle folk music, with an occasional soft edge. The songs here are all warm voices and simple repetitive riffs. If the Cave Singers do anything well, it’s stick to a formula.
The Cave Singers started garnering attention for themselves in 2007 after rising from the ashes of Pretty Girls Make Girls Graves. They played a KEXP live session I was really excited about and garnered a huge buzz. Their first record Invitation Songs came out shortly after and it was more potential than anything else. There were some great songs there, but this is what really bums me about the band: they’ve kind of settled into a groove, and it’s a bit bland. I expected great things from them, I expected innovation, but instead they’ve settled into a niche. Bummer. There’s also another thing: the bloody hippie mentality, communal living and such. If I listen too long that crap starts to seeps into my brain.
I do not want to be taken to the river. I do not want to raise my hands or jump up. What I do want is something new. While I think this album could be enjoyed by a lot of people, I feel that the Cave Singers have outgrown their welcome. It’s time for them to either evolve, or go away. If I have to listen to another album of this crap, or continue to have to hear my peers sing the praises of mediocrity, I think I might have to start throwing things at someone.
Track Listing:
1. Gifts and the Raft
2. Swim Club
3. Black Leaf
4. Falls
5. Outer Realms
6. Haller Lake
7. All Land Crabs and Divinity
8. Ghosts 9. Clever Creatures
10. Haystacks
11. Distant Sures
12. Faze Wave
13. No Prosecution If We Bail
