Album Review: Welcome Joy
The Cave Singers' Sophomore Release From Matador Records
In 2007, Seattle trio The Cave Singers signed with Matador and released their first album, Invitation Songs. On the up side, that album felt expansive and haunting. Peter Quirk, the lead singer, was in command of his instrument, using his throat and mouth to great gutty effect.
Campfire music for grown-ups, critics said, a band to watch. But the truth is, Invitation Songs was boring. Most tracks dragged on far longer than they needed to, relying on neat vocals and reliably pretty guitar chord cycles, neglecting melodic structure, neglecting musical variation. This was an album for fans of a good long tin-roof strum-along.
Welcome Joy
Ok, round two: On August 18th, Matador releases The Cave Singers’ second effort, Welcome Joy. And oh, oh, oh it is so much better. The band seems to have woken up after a long nights’ sleep invigorated, and with a new respect for the attention spans of their listeners.
These cuts have all the good qualities of Invitation Songs, but they are much more lively and fun. If the last album was a soundtrack, wide with rustic sweetness, this album is a whole movie, arced and peaking.
Traditional Folk Themes
These songs deal with the standard gospel-folk themes of God, journeys through the night, and love of women—but they hold beauty and talent to these tired themes, making themselves and their topics seem brighter and deeper than before. One of the nicest touches of all is the female vocal accompaniment from the ladies of Lightning Dust on “Summer Windows.”
Musical Comparisons
Pandora, the online radio program that creates stations from individuals based on the musical properties of the first band a person types in, and then matches those properties to other bands, describes The Cave Singers as “basic rock structures with folky blues influences and punk influences and subtle vocal harmonies and variations.” Pandora’s popularity is based on the ability to introduce people to unfamiliar music with some of the same musical qualities of their favorite bands—and in the past few years, it has become a reliable source for discovering new music. According to them, fans of Modest Mouse, M. Ward, Sun Kil Moon, and Iron and Wine will enjoy The Cave Singers. The Cave Singers are a little louder than Iron and Wine, and a little more conventional in their lyrics and arrangements than M. Ward and Modest Mouse. Still, these comparisons are helpful for those wondering whether they will like this blooming Seattle band. Welcome Joy indicates that The Cave Singers are not complacent; hopefully that continues to be true.
Click here to preview Welcome Joy on myspace.
Catch a live show from The Cave Singers this fall (check here for updates):
Fall 2009 Cave Singers Tour Dates
Sat, 9/5 – Vancouver BC – Biltmore Cabaret
Mon, 9/7 – Seattle WA – Bumbershoot Festival
Fri, 9/11 – Minneapolis MN – 400 Bar
Sat, 9/12 – Chicago IL – Schubas
Sun, 9/13 – Detroit MI – Magic Stick
Mon, 9/14 – Toronto ON – Horseshoe Tavern
Thu, 9/17 – Boston MA – TT The Bear’s
Sat, 9/19 – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom
Sun, 9/20 – Philadelphia PA – Johnny Brenda’s
Mon, 9/21 – Washington DC – Black Cat
Wed, 9/23 – Memphis TN – Hi-Tone Cafe
Thu, 9/24 – Birmingham AL – The Bottletree
Sat, 9/26 – Austin TX – The Mohawk
Tue, 9/29 – Phoenix AZ – Modified
Wed, 9/30 – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
Thu, 10/1 – Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Fri, 10/2 – San Diego CA – Casbah
Sat, 10/3 – Merced CA – The Partisan
Tue, 10/6 – San Francisco CA – The Independent
Fri, 10/16 – Portland OR – Mississippi Studios
Welcome Joy
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