Evaluating and re-scoring the ‘post-post-rock’ landscape, North London’s erudite instrumental four-piece Fighting Kites finally release their debut album after spending the last few years honing their craft. Relying on assiduously played live performances and laconic trickles of EPs, the Kites have indolently built-up a reputation for themselves. Last years ‘Split EP’ with founder member, Neil Debnam, solo project Broken Shoulder, was a fleeting introduction to their exiguous style of shifting progressive rock. Continuing to be infused with the same descriptive tones and improvised live-feel of that EP, they also broaden their horizons of sound to include motorik (‘Mustard After Dinner’) and, even, Faust redolent Elizabethan shoegaze (‘Bowling Alone’) influences.
Using a back-beat of skipping jazz and noodling layered guitars, they traverse an experimental “post-rock-noise-pop” field of naturalistic soundscaping; absorbing the spirits of Duane Eddy, The Shadows and The Bar-Kays with the more obvious allusions to Mogwai, Sonic Youth and Pavement. Each track is diligent in its sophisticated musical execution; melding together the intricate interplay of indie rock with stirring sonic ambient passages, squalling horns and semblable, sustained organ lulls. Never truly throwing caution to the wind or breaking-out into a Holy Fuck-esque funk, our quartet march-on in warm and subtle waves, constructing a musical accompaniment to filmic day-dreaming (for example, the photo-realist painter appellate ‘Chuck Close’ video shows panoramic snow-topped mountains and climbers – more in-keeping with the embossed text on landscape work of Ed Ruscha then Close).
Luckily the Fighting Kites manage to avoid the pratfalls of sounding too indulgent, varying their meandering escapist soundtracks just enough to appeal across a wide audience.
14/05/2012
[Rating:3.5]
