KaiserCartel - March Forth Review
Posted by Scott Rutherford on 06.13.2008
We have a contender!
Calling KaiserCartel a group is a slight misnomer. A duo made up of real-life couple Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel, both have been veterans of New York’s live scene for years. After slugging it out in groups and as backing musicians (in Kaiser’s case background singer for John Mellencamp) they joined together first as backing musicians for each other and finally melding into this combo that shares their names. Having played as KaiserCartel for an extended period they have now released this, their debut album March Forth.
Recorded with aqualung alumni Matt Hales over 8 days in LA and mixed by Hale and Sigur Ros knobman Ken Thomas, they attempted to translate their live show onto tape without losing any of the live magic and intimacy performing as a duo can bring and trying to capture the couples knack for playing multiple instruments live to create the illusion of more players on stage than just the two.
The Album
The Track List
1. Oh No
2. Season Song
3. Travelling Feet
4. Good Ones
5. The Flood
6. Inside Out
7. Okay
8. The Same
9. Favourite Song
10. Dog Star
11. Blue Sky
12. Free Will Zone/Sharia (Hidden Track)
Right from the opening track “Oh No” you instantly get a feel for what this band is all about. Understated acoustic strumming, bare drum backing and the bittersweet vocals of Kaiser makes you first think of comparisons to The Cowboy Junkies but after a minute you realise you are listening to much more than that. Inventive harmonies from Cartel and xylophone flourishes that start after the first chorus give a great tonal edge to this song that The Junkies never seemed to be able to get too on their best day. “Oh No” is a triumph of great melody and structure coupled with fantastic vocals. It may be my song of the year so far.
After such a great start to an album I feared what was to come because usually these types of albums lapse in dour strum-a-thons that get tedious very quickly. Much to my surprise I got the jaunty “Season Song” that actually whistles a happy tune while lyrically showing joy for the seasons of the year. Corny subject to be sure but like R.E.M manages with “Shiny Happy People”, they pull it off with a wry grin on their faces.
The third song offers up its own surprise in “Travelling Feet” which comes off as a loving throwback to 30’s and 40’s country sing-a-long ballads. With Cartel taking the lead vocal duties this time, they have managed to throw up three distinct style of songs and make them all interesting in their own way but from the one sound.
The rest of the album offers up some great moments like the guitar and violin interaction in “The Flood”, the wistful Kaiser vocals in “Blue Sky”, the subtle integration of piano, strings and alarm clocks (!) in “Favourite Song” while Cartel tells Kaiser you’re may favourite song.These songs are about love, loving each other and knowing that everything is good...a refreshing change from the heart-on-the-sleeve angst that seems so prevalent these days.
The vocals and arrangements are the real highlight of this set. Not just relying on picture perfect interaction, KaiserCartel infuse their songs with some great vocal change-ups throwing in minor key harmonies over major chords that helps pull against the grain of the song. Add to that the thoughtful way they layer their instrumentations adding strings, xylophone, percussion, piano amongst others it helps songs build momentum and bring them to a climax without over reaching. The production makes you feel like they are playing in the room just for you adding a warmth sorely lacking in today’s over-mastered sonic mush.
There are a few quibbles on here. While they have gone to great lengths to paint outside the folksy sonic platter that their music lives in, you can sometime feel like they are re-visiting ideas. Part of this sets charm is catching the listener off guard with the unexpected. Maybe a few more days in the studio would have yielded some more experimentation. I also would have cut the final track from the album as it does nothing for me. Ending on “Blue Sky” would have been perfect.
Do You Believe The Hype?
In my case, colour my 100% sold on KaiserCartel. March Forth wont be for everyone…Iron Maiden fans need not apply. If you are a fan of great singing, country style arrangements and playing a la Gram Parsons then you are in the right place. This album has enough modern twists and turns to make it fresh but is wise enough to never step beyond what they are. While this album isn’t perfect it ranks up with the best I have heard this year and it’s most certainly the most honest collection I have heard in a long time.
If you wish to find out more about KaiserCartel you can visit their homepage KaiserCartel.Com or to hear some of the tracks from their debut album March Forth visit their KaiserCartel MySpace Page. Here is also a clip of first singe “Okay”…
The 411: While KaiserCartel look like a couple of emo kids who have lost their way don’t be deceived, they certainly bring their own brand sunshine with them and that reflected light is as warm and inviting as anything you'll find.. A fantastic collection of songs from two people that know how to play with each other and for each other. My album of the year so far.
The Track List
