The Cave Singers – No Witch [Review]
Musing about Seattle’s The Cave Singers, I recall the video for “Dancing On Our Graves”, off their 2007 debut, Invitation Songs. It’s coarse, cryptic, and eerily captivating. No Witch, the band’s third release, and first on Jagjaguwar, harnesses that same dusky energy and infuses it with polished instrumentation and abounding influence; An effort that successfully distills a new sound, while staying true to their rain soaked roots. If Lou Reed made folk records; If Mellencamp lived in New Weird America; If Parsons lived past 26 – The Cave Singers’ No Witch not only provides a solid example of new “cosmic American music”, it’s what Ryan Adams was supposed to sound like. No Witch presents a rock confidence that’s borderline aggressive, creating compositions that are rich and robust, no doubt a maturity that will bode well in broadening their audience. Songs like “Gifts and the Rafts”, “All Land Crabs and Divinity Ghosts” and “Swim Club” will recall the past, but overall, these songs are a balanced blend of rock, blues, and folk, with the energized “Black Leaf” standing out among them. The Cave Singers are currently on tour with Fleet Foxes and come recommended.
“Swim Club” – The Cave Singers
“Black Leaf” – The Cave Singers
Recommendation: Purchase – Pick and Choose – Pass
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