Bunkbed - Nothing Ever Lasts

  by Chris Jones

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

Label: Turn
Format: CD

intro

I first met Keith Krate as a fellow DJ at KSCU in Santa Clara, California. Not long afterwards, I saw him perform as Bunkbed with another KSCU alum, Marcy Saude. The combo of Keith's acoustic guitar

I first met Keith Krate as a fellow DJ at KSCU in Santa Clara, California. Not long afterwards, I saw him perform as Bunkbed with another KSCU alum, Marcy Saude. The combo of Keith's acoustic guitar and solemn vocals and Marcy's quiet cello playing and soft backing vocals struck me instantly. In between songs, Keith would pull out a silver flask from his jacket pocket and take a swig of what I assume was whiskey -surely that would be the fitting drink for Bunkbed's music. I haven't seen Keith or Bunkbed in over two years, so to have this CD sent to me for review was a treat. Stylistically, the CD is similar to the live performances I had seen a few years ago. I imagine that cigarettes and that silver flask were present during the recording sessions too. Keith's acoustic guitar and melancholic vocals are the central components and instead of cello, Marcy adds bass and organ. Elizabeth Yi, who I knew from her days in Korea Girl, adds to the vocals and John Baty does his part on drums. The songs on this CD seem to have a sense of tension to them that I don't really remember hearing when i saw them live. Something like the feel I get from the slower songs by Seam or many of the songs by Chuzzlewit. The latter probably being a better comparison when it comes to method and musical style. The songs are very immediate, somewhat raw, and very personal. From a lyrical content standpoint, I find it hard not to think of songs by Bobby Wratten (now of the Trembling Blue Stars). Bunkbed has often been described as "break up music" but now it almost feels as if Keith is breaking up too. His vocals have always hinted at a major heartbreak that he counters with his guitar and alcohol, but when he sings "just another drunk with another song that won't make any difference" I think that he almost believes that to be the case. I'll hope he's wrong about that.

Track Listing:-