MGF Reviews The Kin – Rise and Fall

Reviews


The Kin – Rise and Fall
Aletheia Records (10/9/07; available now on iTunes)
Acoustic rock

After a first listen to the The Kin’s album, Rise and Fall, I was immediately reminded of being in high school, and falling in love for the first time. The soundtrack of my life at that point revolved mostly around a local Boston band named Guster and their debut album, Parachutes. I realized, however, after a trip down memory lane, and a second listen, that The Kin’s album has a cleaner, and stronger feel to it. It is also absent of the heavy laden bongo drum songs that are one of Guster’s signatures.

Rise and Fall was written completely by brothers Isaac and Thorry Koren. Though natives of Australia, the brothers have relocated to New York—they were residents at the famous Bowery Ballroom and have been playing clubs all over the East Coast. They have yet, however, to make their way to the Midwest.

The first couple of songs that popped out were “Together” and “Great Divide”. The string ensembles in both tracks may be somewhat predictable, and the lyrics, though warm and heart-felt, are to a degree, repetitive. Still, there is still something unmistakably smooth and whimsical about them.

My favorite song by far was “Photographs”, though, some may not even call it a full song, running short of only two minutes. It’s one of those songs that invoke driving through an endless desert at night with the wind racing through your hair. The delay on the vocals is perfect.

The Kin have a solid and well-executed album here. It was co-produced with Nic Hard who produced albums from The Bravery, Aberdeen City, and The Church. Rise and Fall would appeal to fans of Coldplay, The Fray and Keane, and maybe it will give new listeners that oh-so-special feeling of falling in love for the first time just as Guster has done for me.

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