Cave Singers - Welcome Joy

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 11 / 9 / 2009

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'Welcome Joy’, the second album by Seattle’s the Cave Singers, is an endearing scramble though pysch-folk, country and roots rock, joyously executed and entirely unpretentious. Upon the demise of Derek Fudesco’s former band, emo-punkers Pretty Girls Make Graves, he formed the Cave Singers with another former rocker Pete Quirk, vocals, and Marty Lund, drums. There are the odd hints of their grunge-punk pasts on the groove-led, feedback drenched ‘At The Cut’, but for the most part this is a lively set of celebratory folk music. Although clearly deeply influenced by folk music and reminiscent especially of the late-60s work of the Incredible String Band, this album is largely recorded on electric instruments, giving it a warm and fuzzy sound. Anyone put off by the starkness of folk music will find no such problems here. At the centre of the record, ‘Hen of the Woods’ sums up the Cave Singers’ charms perfectly, with a pretty melody, enriched by a series of sublime guitar lines. Despite regularly demonstrating skilled musicianship, it shows a band entirely comfortable. In particular, I’m reminded of Wilco’s recent work, especially their beautiful ‘Sky Blue Sky’, where Jeff Tweedy and his pals sounded entirely at ease with one another, and yet in obvious comfort they were able to arrange their essentially simply tunes into a series of startling twists and turns. The Cave Singers do a similar thing. They sound like born musicians - not virtuosos necessarily - but three men who not only enjoy music, but have the means to translate their enthusiasm into sound. A welcome joy, indeed.

Track Listing:-

1 Summer Light
2 Leap
3 At The Cut
4 Shrine
5 Hen Of The Woods
6 Beach House
7 VV
8 I Don't Mind
9 Townships
10 Bramble

Label Links:-

http://www.matadorrecords.com/
https://twitter.com/matadorrecords
https://www.facebook.com/MatadorRecords
http://matadorrecords.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/matadorrecs
https://www.instagram.com/matadorrecords/

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