The Hasting’s based alt-punk-rock outfit find a little bit more peace on their latest album.
Previous album There Goes The Neighbourhood was a superb offering. It had a series of excellent singles and a real swagger and bombast to it. This new album finds the band at a crossroads. Two of the four founding members, Ben Beetham and George MacDonald, decided to leave the band after the completion of this fourth album and will not be touring it. That leaves singer and guitarist Jack Wilson, and bassist Eddie Lewis, to carry on the flame. It has resulted in an album of softer edges, a bit more tunefulness and a bit more melancholy than Kapichi normally trade in. This isn’t to say that there isn’t room for some state of the world politicking and some up-tempo rock outs. Whilst the lyrics are often oblique at times the singing style and the music make proceedings feel a little bit more vulnerable than on previous offerings.
Of the singles ‘Shoe Size’ feels a bit more traditional Kapichi, though the key lyrics are borderline nonsensical, “I’ve been thinking about you all the time, I’ve been changing water into wine.” There are clunkier lyrics scattered throughout the album. ‘Worst Kept Secret’ has a lovely orchestral accompaniment, a real emotional swell to the chorus. ‘Stainless Steel’ drives along nicely whilst ‘Rabbit Hole’ is an exercise in nostalgia in the way they like to dip into.
The result is a perfectly decent and lovely 41 minutes of music. It just doesn’t keep surprising you in the way its predecessor did.
Essential Tracks: ‘Stainless Steel,’ ‘Worst Kept Secret’
Leave a Reply