|
|
| Depending on where you put the (metaphorical) needle down, this
Portland-based band's second CD can sound like experimental Radiohead-leaning
post-rock, brassy Latin pop or coolly reflective fusion jazz. It often
happens within a single song, as on "Confidence", where Yorke-ish alienation
gives way to Spanish horns right out of a Calexico CD. And surprisingly, it
works. You're never bored. You're never confused. Kieskagato got its name by combining the Russian and Spanish words for cat, so it's no surprise that the band slaps disparate sounds -- jazz, rock, soul and Latin -- together in a calico blend of styles. However, there's an underlying thread of commonality in Josh Vasby's quavery vocals, in Dave Jorgensen's glowing Fender Rhodes and trumpet, in the light and shimmery drumming from Bryan Fairfield. Jorgensen, a jazzman before he joined the band in 2001, lends authority to their forays into progressive rock and jazz. There's never a sense that the band is reaching -- only that it is continually exploring and pushing. Highlights here include the expansively moody "Omaha", lit from within by keyboards and given angsty spine with its repeating guitar line, the complex "Confidence", and the all-instrumental, jazz-like "White Castle". "Muevete Como A Noche" feels less interesting at first, a little too standard-issue grunge in the melody, but is redeemed by a clean and anxious drum line and keening keyboards. No such luck for "See You at the Meeting", a self-consciously upbeat track that can't escape its pop ordinariness. On the whole, though, this is excellent genre-bending stuff from a band that's not afraid to mix things up. -- Jennifer Kelly |