Kerbside– ‘Anything Strange’

Posted on October 29, 2005 by Contributor

Artist: Kerbside
Author: Aoife Barry

There isn"t anything strange about Kerbside " in fact" there"s something rather beguiling about their blend of country"tinged folk" lilting melodies and acoustic pop sensibilities. A husband and wife duo" Kim and Sean Lightholder relocated from San Francisco"s Bay Area to Athlone a number of years ago and now play a pivotal role in the area"s burgeoning music scene.

Anything Strange" their debut album" is a collection of 11 songs that opens with the crackle of vinyl" which then wraps itself around the "live and lo"fi" track "Mahal Ko". Their love for vinyl extends beyond audio effects" as the CD itself is a perfectly miniature version of a vinyl record" a quirky effort that the music nerd in me found more than a little thrilling. Although the opening track is most definitely lo"fi in nature" with Sean"s vocals sometimes almost disappearing under the hiss" crackle and guitar" the second" more upbeat" track" "Departure "Sacrementum Exeuntium""" showcases Kim"s strong" emotive voice.

Often" listening to an album by a duo can become taxing if one voice is more pleasing than the other" or if the couple"s harmonies don"t quite gel. Thankfully" this isn"t the case with Kerbside" as Kim and Sean"s distinctive vocals compliment each other perfectly when the couple do harmonise. Also" rather than having one primary vocal" the two have their turn singing lead on alternate songs" and again this doesn"t feel wearing or inconsistent.

Sean"s lyrics "he writes ten of the eleven songs on the album" weave stories about relationships with travelling tales" his poetic descriptions of his or his characters" interaction with the world conjuring up images that can be at times colourful ""the press of flesh in empty rooms""" touching ""when love came in a rush/she felt herself begin to go""" and even haunting ""your ghost might keep me company/but the rest of you is gone"". Although there is a predominantly down"tempo feel to the album" this is punctuated by more upbeat tracks like "Departure"" "College Town"" and "Ten Minute Anniversary". The latter of these is also one of the standout tracks on the album" joined by "How Far"" with its inspired cowboy western"style intro. In all" this is an album that is a pleasure to listen to" one that you could throw on during a reflective moment" at the end of a long day " or a long party" Hopefully Kerbside"s gigs outside their hometown of Athlone will continue" so the duo can bring their sound to the rest of the country.

Kerbside"s "Anything Strange" is available through their website" www.kerbside.ie " or in Galway at Redlight Records" 36 Shop St.

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