March Forth, the forthcoming debut album by Brooklyn based indie-pop duo KairserCartel, is a pleasant, playful synthesis of airy pop melodies and lo-fi indie rock. Complete with whistling, extensive use of the xylophone, and wonderful harmonies it is the perfect summer album. You might find that it’s pleasant, piano driven songs would suit well a sunny summer day car ride, windows down, of course. Or try it out while relaxing with a glass of wine on the front porch or during an evening game of cards with friends. March Forth might even go well with hot dogs and burgers or chicken and steaks on the grill. Indeed, couple Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel have succeeded in creating a truly atmospheric, tonally pleasing album.

However, March Forth, and KairserCartel in general, are not simply light fare. These are songs that do more than conjure the simple emotions of summer. Together, Kaiser and Cartel, with the help of noted musician/producer Matt Hales (aka Aqualung) and mixer Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros), have created an album of great emotional depth and imagination. At the heart of the music and songwriting of KaiserCartel is Courtney and Ben’s intimate relationship. Each song explores the nature of love and of loving, and of the complications of wanting to love someone - or of wanting to be loved by someone. Like many great artists, Kaiser and Cartel understand that the complications of relationship sometimes overwhelm even the fondest of feelings for someone, much like a thunder or lightening storm might overwhelm the beautiful pleasantries of summer. At the same time, those complications can often cause a couple to fall even more in love with each other, similar to the way that the same storm might leave behind a beautiful rainbow. KaiserCartel hopes to capture both the rainbow and the thunder.

Both Kaiser and Cartel are experienced musicians who insist on playing all of their own instruments. Kaiser, who honed her vocal talents while singing back-up to artists like John Mellencamp, Sean Lennon, and the Wallflowers, sings lead on most of the tracks with Cartel backing. She has a lovely, lush voice and sounds like a combination of Over The Rhine’s Karin Berquist’ and Leslie Feist, with a hint of Sandra McCracken’s country stylings. Cartel, whose musical talents are also considerable (and who claims to draw inspiration from “crowded subway stations, local watering holes and New York Femme Fatales”) does sing lead on a few of the songs, including the album’s third song, a hopeful road ballad called “Traveling Feet,” reminiscent of bands like The Shins and Belle and Sebastian, and “Favourite Song.”

It’s hard to pin down just one fair comparison for KaiserCartel. At times they do sound like the aforementioned artists, especially Over The Rhine and sometimes even The Shins and Feist (see the beautiful song “Okay”), but the best comparison might be recent indie pop sensations, The Weepies — and not just because, like Deb Talen and Steve Tannen, Kaiser and Cartel are a couple. Their lovely harmonies and songwriting styles are so similar that many of the songs on March Forth could easily find a place in Talen and Tannen’s recent albums “Say I Am You” and the new “Hideaway.”

After the mellow (and OTR like) opening track, “Oh No,” the album’s second song, “Season Song,” is a playful, whistle driven, pop anthem about the particular characteristics of each passing season and the way that things like fireflies and jack-o-lanterns “show we’ve grown.” The aforementioned “Traveling Feet,” “Favourite Song” and “Blue Sky” are beautiful songs full of hope and lovely poetry and colorful ambiance and “Flood” and “Dog Stars” are achingly lovely folksy ballads. But the albums best songs are the seventh track, “Okay” and the fourth track “Good Ones.” Both songs begin slowly with Kaiser’s intimate lyrics and voice but slowly build until Cartel’s voice joins hers and the sounds of keys and organs and violin and tambourine join in. “Okay” is a song about growth and change and as such works nicely as the centerpiece to this lovely album.

March Forth is a unique and creative debut LP for Kaiser and Cartel, one that becomes more and more interesting the more it is experienced. It is well worth getting a hold of when it hits stores and itunes on June 10. Don’t be surprised to see the couple do very well for themselves in the indie music community in the near future. Visit them on the web here.

Artist: KaiserCartel
Album: March Forth
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Our Rating: 8/10

David Kern can be reached at David[at]intothehill.com or through his blog www.besidethequeue.wordpress.com , where he frequently blogs about music and film.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 2:38 pm and is filed under Album Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.