King Me – Guide Down

Somewhat maudlin in tone, but full of power and presence


Somewhat maudlin in tone, but full of power and presence

 

http://www.kingme.nl/ http://www.konkurrent.nl/

 

An LP to genuflect to…

 

In parts piano-based, and certainly in thrall to the quieter moments of bands such as Electric President or Rogue Wave, King Me create very affecting mid-tempo songs, somewhat maudlin in tone, but full of power and presence. Pig is a great example of this, developing from an acoustic wail to a moody love song replete with bruising guitars.

 

There are some rueful, wistful numbers on here; the band make great use of repetitive song structures, as seen on the great opener My Maria and its follow up I Will. Pretty Girls shows off a morose sense of humour whilst Sing Along is happily deranged slob-fest with a nice relaxed refrain.

 

Sometimes the vocals grate a little (such as on Stone Song) but get let out of jail by interesting guitar noises. The longest track The Undertow becomes a virtual mantra with weird synths and a slow repetitive vocal line lulling the listener into a sense of near torpor…

 

Interesting stuff, but not one to listen to if you are feeling like letting your hair down.