The Cave Singers – Banshee
The Seattle folk rockers' crowdfunded LP is staid, safe and destined to live in the background.
Since emerging from the ashes of Pretty Girls Make Graves the best part of a decade ago, the Cave Singers have delivered four albums which occasionally promise great things, but too often fail to fully convince. The closest they came was on the vibrant debut set Invitation Songs (2007), which showcased an inventiveness which has been lacking ever since.
Sadly, it’s not been recovered on Banshee – an album with a few moments of sweetness, but which ultimately feels like a pleasant collection of background music. Lost in the Tide reveals what The War on Drugs would sound like if Adam Granduciel relinquished the Mary Jane, while the Devendra Banhart-lite Who’s Well is, well, extremely light. The lilting acoustic riff on Strip Mine lingers for a moment, while Christmas Night is a decent lead single. But it’s nigh on impossible to get excited about something so intent on plodding along, bereft of adventure.