The Kabeedies : 'Rumpus'
Released: Out Now!!!
Label: NR One Records
We are (officially) out of the recession. And we are (supposedly) about to enter Spring. To add to the general feeling of all things bright and uplifting come the quirky, wacky sounds of the Kabeedies - a young foursome from Norwich. They’re here to sweep away the cobwebs and cold of winter with a blast of something not quite indie, not quite punk, but bits of both with a generous helping of ‘pop’ thrown in too.
If you’re a fan of the Ting Tings, or Marmaduke Duke ('Rubber Lover') then this will sit easy with you. It’s similar - but with more edge. Rumpus is an appropriate title because it accurately describes the sound that this debut album emits. Foot to the floor from the word go, opening track 'Fuzzy Felt' sets the pace at frenetic and it doesn’t let up for the whole 33 minutes (that long!). The tracks are mostly variations on a tried and tested theme but they say simple is often best so why mess with a winning formula?
Led by thumping drums and repetitive guitars the music provides a platform for a trio of voices that deliver harmonious if peculiar songs. Phrases to catch the ear at various points include: “Soft like petroleum jelly, my heart sank to my belly.” “Sugar, Sugar, Sugar is just something to put in coffee”.
A band that can sing about yogurt and martial art experts, as 'Petis Filous' demonstrates, have to have a streak of absurdity in them anyway. Although this is probably the weakest track on the album.
'Duck Egg Blue' is neither here nor there and at one minute and ten seconds must be one of the shortest songs every written – a mid-album interlude. Then again when the whole album is thirteen tracks in just over half an hour most of them are short.
The album rounds off with my personal favourite 'Jitterbug', another appropriate title given the speedy nature of the album. “Stub my toe, Stub my toe, Stub my toe on her heart”. A love song but given the Kabeedies unique treatment it doesn’t come across with any kind of sadness or sentimentality.
A quick search of the old interweb shows this eccentric foursome are already garnering quite a following; I would suggest that this album is going to do nothing but enhance that following in the coming months. A band for the here and now, The Kabeedies are happy to tell us on track 5 “We Make Our Own Adventures...our lives don’t need censor”. The real test will be to see if they are still bending our collective ear in 2011 or whether the Rumpus has been silenced
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