2.0 out of 5 stars
Very Poor Mix, February 1, 2007
This review is from: K1 (Audio CD)
I can get over the Fine Young Cannibals meets Coldplay vocals. After all, I'm a huge fan of Tim Kinsella. And, I can sort of get over the $16 price tag for 25 minutes of music because. And, I can mostly forgive the sometimes overly indulgent use of strings (though they seem to be used to give the band some indie-rock credit more than for true effect as, as we know, strings are an essential part of the "Our band wants to be taken seriously" repertoire these days. And, I can forgive the opening track's burning desire to be included on the Garden State soundtrack. What I cannot forgive is the really bad mix job on this release. The vocals sound completely separated from the rest of the music, kind of like someone is doing karaoke (pronounced car-ay-oh-key, with a bad Japanese accent and a quick bob of the head) over background music. It's a very disconcerting effect, one obviously sought after in the studio, but it leaves this listener, and those around him, rejecting the songs completely as, well, a bit amateurish and a lot affected. We ARE talking about a Portland, Oregon band, however, so this last comes with the territory. Don't get me wrong I LOVE Portland, but one won't find a more affected city in the United States outside of Healdsburg. . .so I suppose Kingdom is merely a reflection of the affected and can't help being what they are.
How can I be the first reviewer? I read such a solid review of this CD in some silly music magazine. . .I feel bad . . . please, someone chime in here with a five star review and drown out my two stars. These guys are probably extra nice and will hate reading my review - but I'm just telling it like it is in my tiny universe. . .I actually feel quite bad as I always root for PDX. Next time guys, find a new producer.
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