CAVES:
Homeward Bound: CD
Caves call themselves a raw, melodic pop punk band. I can certainly hear that in their music. It’s got a real rough edge with slightly off-key female vocals that, on occasion, pair up with male vocals, often in utilizing the “woah-oh-oh” method of delivery. Some of the dozen songs on here are catchy and endearing but others just seem uninspired and, after a while, it all ran together. I found a video online of the singer, Lou, playing one of the songs from Homeward Bound on the acoustic guitar and it stood out to me as being far superior to the rock and roll version on the album. It gave off a sense of introspection and a personal nature that I didn’t really hear on Homeward Bound. Perhaps I’m just getting older and mellowing out (although I did listen to Pig Destroyer and Cannibal Corpse this morning, so maybe not) but I’d like to hear more of the solo stuff. –Kurt Morris (specialistsubjectrecords.co.uk)