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Kom

Berry White

Written by: DR on 23/10/2010 17:30:59

I don't know how much experience you have of independent label Denovali, but take it from me, neither they or any of their bands do anything by halves. I'm yet to receive a release from them them that's anything less than an experience, and in many ways a celebration of their love for music as an art. From Germany come Kom with their third release "Berry White", and they don't do anything to seem out of place on this label.

What they have isn't something I can claim to be directly familiar with, but I can identify with the components that create it, or rather the genres and influences they draw upon. Genres such as indie, post-rock, ambient, and you can go ahead and throw progressive in there, too. If you were hoping for big name drops, how about Sigur Ros meets Radiohead? They all utilise dreamy, melancholic guitars, tribal drumming and soft, mysterious vocals, and do so without ever changing the tempo. It all adds up and results in lofty, experimental soundscapes that paint patterns in the listeners' mind, or tries to. They don't fully succeed in this, not because of a lack of technical proficiency, or poor production, but because it isn't engrossing enough. Kom are content with 12 songs that all feel similar; they don't offer enough to establish tracks as clear standouts.

Perhaps I'm underselling "Berry White" slightly, as it has more ambition than most albums I've heard this year, they are trying to do something that has originality, and they have triumphed in that respect. However, it still feels like an album from a band who know exactly what they want to achieve, but someway short of their ambition as of yet. A warm, unthreatening but not quite engrossing release.

Download: Any/all of it
For The Fans of: Sigur Ros meets Radiohead
Listen: Myspace

Release Date 04.06.2010
Denovali Records