Kaddisfly plays a wide-open, atmospheric style that puts them off from all other bands that are on the market. The band has had a few albums with which to create their own sound, but songs like “Summer Solstice” put them off in a completely different direction. “Campfire” is a track that conforms much more to the conventions of emo music. In this track, there are nods to acts like Coheed and Cambria along with Yellowcard, and even a passing mention of A-ha with the instrumental space between the chorus and the follow-up stanza. “Campfire” is a strong track but it shows that Kaddisfly could ratchet things up a little more than they do on this track. Individuals will be entrapped by the beautiful arrangements of the band, but the catchiness of the rest of the track lacks a little bit. This will not be a track that rapidly rockets up the charts.
“Waves” is another track that shows that Kaddisfly is a talented band, but has them trying their hardest to grab the brass ring. The band is so close to doing just that at a number of points during the track, but individuals that give this disc a good listen should understand that they are close to succeeding, and even closer so with each subsequent track. “Harbor” is a track that has Kaddisfly flop over that limbo pole; the band intersperses intense lyrics with instrumentation (specifically guitar and piano) that will get individuals herking and jerking around like they were on E. “Birds” may just be the most solid track on “Set Sail The Prairie”. During this track, the same atmospheric compositions that marked “Summer Solstice” return with some of the same emo fury that has marked the subsequent tracks on the disc. Kaddisfly are able to ride the waves of different styles of music, and it is this shifting of styles and meshing of disparate influences and sounds that puts them over the top.
The ghostly sounds that end “Birds” are a high-water mark for this album, and show that the band is all over the map. Kaddisfly has been working on crafting a specific sound for years now, and this may just be their best effort to date. Pick up “Set Sail The Prairie” and be satisfied at the different roles that Kaddisfly plays over the fourteen tracks on the disc. Give it a go as soon as possible.
Top Tracks: Harbor, Birds
Rating: 7.0/10
Kaddisfly – Set Sail The Prairie / 2007 Sub City / 14 Tracks / http://www.kaddisfly.com / http://www.subcityrecords.com / Reviewed 28 March 2007
[JMcQ]