Review Summary: Seattle Washington's Musical Protégé
Seattle, Washington has a long history of producing great music, from Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana to Pearl Jam. Yet past success in a city often creates corny imitators rather than more great musical acts. When introduced to music from Seattle, the question becomes whether you are going to hear another revolutionary sound from a humble yet brilliant mind, or a Starbucks drinking ‘Seahawks fan’ who didn’t know who Russell Wilson was until two days ago, literally. With Head Like a Kite’s album
Random Portraits of the Home Movie, we thankfully are blessed with what could be the former. The top-notch play of the guitar, combined with excellent songwriting, perfectly complimentary drum rhythms, and buttery smooth vocals from both females and males, make for an immediately enjoyable album for all but those who outright despise the electro-rock genre itself.
What lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Einmo does on
Random Portraits of the Home Movie will have you convinced he is the modern day David Gilmour. Drummer Trent Moorman provides faithful and skilled assistance on every track, and the band also draws on a wide variety of guest vocals and instrumentals. The album relies mostly on instrumentals, for good reason, yet when the few lyrics do come they bear a hard presence by being thoughtfully written, well timed, and having distorted vocals that blend perfectly with the instruments. The Voice Distortion on
Your Buttcrack Smile, combined with the funky and skillful electric guitar, creates a ridiculous yet futuristic atmosphere in the music. You could imagine people dancing on the moon to this while wearing MC Hammer pants.
A Dime and a Cigarrete sets the album on a more serious course by simply sending a positive message that starting from where you are at is better than never starting at all. It is a song on enjoying frugality and enjoying the things in life that we often take for granted, like simply existing and having a chance to succeed. This track is a good example of the sparse use of repetitive lyrics that are a perfect amount to make them catchy and understandable without being corny or poppy. The album drifts into a more peaceful and lackadaisical mood near the end of the album, as the guitar playing really becomes the focus, such as tracks like the eight minute musical clinic
Blue Merlot in Tokyo.
Random Portraits of the Home Movie will only get better with repeated listens as the lyrics become more decipherable and the blends of instruments can be better appreciated. The only few downsides are exactly what will make it an endurable album. The distorted lyrics are hard to hear at first, but on the whole this is a good thing, as it adds to the sometimes fantastic atmosphere of the music, and creates mystery - which compliments the poetically complex lyricism well. The music is enormously enjoyable and immediately recognizable as superb work. David Einmo clearly took a lifetime to perfect the skill of musicianship used on the guitar and vocals. It is enough to turn someone who, two days ago, didn’t know or care what the name of the group was, into a die-hard fan of both the band and the city. They should hire Head Like a Kite to play for the Seahawks Superbowl parade, if they haven’t already. I’ll be there. GO SEAHAWKS!
