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The rock quintet Kaddisfly, originally from Portland,
Oregon, have returned with their recent effort Set Sail The
Prairie which is the follow up to their 2005 release Buy
Our Intention, We'll Buy You A Unicorn. Produced by the band
and Kris Crummett, Set Sail The Prairie is submerged
in long, winding melodies that range in currents from high to
low vibrations, move from rapid tempos to lackadaisical torch
song moods, and jump from stormy torrential flourishes to lukewarm
simmers. The movements are volatile and the chord transitions
are capricious. One minute the rhythmic patterns have a soft punk
groove, the next they're intensified by a rampage of power chords
and then in the next phase the patterns are willowy and pliant
all done within in the same song. The musical portraits are a
motley bunch that can have stout guitar riffs liken to Rookie
Of The Year and soft melodic swirls with similar Melee
representations. Kaddisfly concentrate on the level of their vibrations,
moving them from towering to wind-swept while keeping the effects
in a constant state of flux.
The songs portray the changing moods of band members Christopher
James Ruff (lead vocals/piano), Aaron William Tollefson
(guitar), Kile Michael Brewer (bass), Beau Justin Kuther
(drums/percussion), and Kelsey Beck Kuther (guitar/percussion).
Sometimes the chord progressions are curdled and squeezed and
at other times the guitar riffs are stretched out and evangelical
sounding, like on "Summer Solstice" and "Winter
Solstice." The lively rhythmic build ups and withdrawals
on tracks like "Harbor" and "Camp Fire" are
flung with a Boys Like Girls javelin while the light punk-rock
pulsing on "Waves" has correlations to Alexisonfire
and Rookie Of The Year. Ruff performs some extraneous vocal scales
on the songs which create twists and turns through the contrasts
in the melodic motions. The heavy tones of "Birds" are
embroidered with emotive vocals which take on a raging throttle
on "Clouds" along stormy chord twines and drum fills
that dig in but then turn calmer on the outro.
"Empire" is vastly changeable with fluffy chord movements
on the intro which grow into rushing tempos heated by strapping
taut vocals. The songs have hulls of virile vibrations and receding
motions like on "Snowflakes" and "Mercury",
songs kilned by rhythmic rises and descents. The instrument parts
correlate with one another from the cathedral-esque vibrations,
as Hybrid's own Gareth Bowles describes them, to liquidity
surfs. The vibrations are prismatic like on "Silk Road"
and "Clock Work" while the chains of dawdling piano
notes give the songs a jazz-den crackle. The sound effects of
a train coming into a station introduces "Via Rail"
and build up the gentle movements into power chord squeezes. The
soft tempo of "Forest" has a sweet vocal resonance which
advance into curdling chord series, raspy vibrations, and jotting
vocals.
Kaddisfly has been recording albums since 2001 and released several
EP's before signing to Hopeless/Sub City Records. Their recent
album Set Sail The Prairie has everything that the band
has been working up towards and fits right in with the Vans Warped
Tour format, which Kaddisfly will be joining in August, 2007.
Architecturally, the album is very dynamic with long, winding
melodies and variations in the vocals which make the songs frisky.
-Susan Frances
Track Listing:
1. Summer Solstice
2. Campfire
3. Waves
4. Harbor
5. Birds
6. Clouds
7. Empire
8. Winter Solstice
9. Snowflakes
10. Via Rail
11. Silk Road
12. Mercury
13. Clockwork
14. Forest
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