Cabins - Bright Victory reviewed
July 7th 2010 01:53
Bright Victory is an interesting title for Sydney band Cabins’ debut album. Cabins play music that is far more ominous and atmospheric than bright and optimistic, but it’s certainly a victory for the band; this album is a killer.
Lead track Hounds is the perfect mix of grunt and pop sensibilities. With a frenzied, rolling drum beat, killer hooks and main vocalist Leroy Bressington’s warm but forceful drawl, Cabins play you into a trance and immediately snap you back out of it. Ominous yet gentle one minute, and dark and blaring the next; Cabins switch tempo almost at will, but at all the right times.
Oceanic Blues is one of those said trance inducers; all jangly acoustic guitars, woody percussion and layered vocals. Catcher in the Rye blares at you with pumping guitars, that rolling drumbeat and finally emotive, even woozy piano. Bressington’s multi-faceted drawl, so melodic its coma-inducing one minute and so strong it commands your attention the next, perfectly suits what is more about the instruments than the vocals. When the vocals do take centre stage, like in killer track Mary, they’re eerie and booming and the listener couldn’t escape from the impact of the lyrics even if they wanted to.
Mary ups the tempo, all thumping drums and blaring guitars, Bressington displaying immense talent behind the microphone. It’s in perfect contrast to swooner The Moon, a down tempo crooner featuring wiry guitars, touches of piano and a fabulous Spanish-horn cameo. It sounds crazy, but it works; it gets you listening intently, unmoving, trance like and then forcing you to bop along like a schoolgirl listening to Katy Perry.
Cabins are a band that is calculating and meticulous in their composition, and boy does it work. Each song is delicately crafted, paying homage to the immense riches each instrument offers.
After a couple of listens you start to pay attention to Leroy Bressington’s lyrical ability. He paints vivid imagery with ease, and often. This is extremely evident in Foes & Thieves, an epic five minute haunter with a thumping backbeat. When Leroy croons the line “I think I hear the winter wind whisper where I’ve been” you almost automatically place the song on a higher pedestal than the rest of the album.
If I’ve got any criticisms it’s that I want more; 30 minutes and eight tracks isn’t anywhere near enough. I want more Cabins to snap in and out of a trance to. But you’d Cabins would be pretty pleased if Bright Victory left every listener desperate for more.
Overall, this is a fantastic debut album; with not a single weak track in sight.
Adam
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