The debut record Silverwalks by local duo CaveofswordS sounds poised between a moody rock dive and a throbbing club. Certainly it’s mixed for the club, or for people attuned to big club mixes, with programmed drumbeats dominating everything else. The songs are not timed for the dance mix, however, ranging from 3:09 to 5:13 in length, with seven of the 11 songs coming in under four minutes: pure pop music territory.
Always evident beneath the insistent club beats are the lead vocals of Sunyatta McDermott, a scene veteran by now, backed by husband/bandmate, guitarist Kevin McDermott. This is a new, restrained, mature Sunyatta vocal, totally absent of that urgent wail that she used to rely on for emotional emphasis. In its place is an ethereal shimmer, a soulful vibrato. She underplays her voice and vocal intensity to great effect, yet when she goes for it, she gets it. Sunyatta hits some notes they’re still trying to get right in the concert hall.
The melodies evoke Kate Bush on downers, ‘70s post-psychedelia (Blue Oyster Cultish, maybe) or northern soul with the knob screwed down a little on the turntable to drop the vocal in pitch. The vocal has no competition for solo melodic instrument to speak of, though both McDermotts are resourceful and creative musicians with a subtle touch and good instincts for what is enough but not too much ear candy.
The underplayed vocals work, but with very few flourishes of a second vocal line the vocal part starts to sound slightly empty. Stacked vocals are badly needed in places. Kevin uses instruments to play games with the emptiness, which has a weird power, but it’s still playing games with emptiness.
The guitar lines call to mind Peter Buck of R.E.M., circa New Adventures in Hi-Fi. The keyboards at their best could be compared to Brian Eno at his most accessible, with the synths at times catcalling over the vocal, at other times mimicking cicadas, at one point sounding like a goofy synth version of steel drums—and not failing to deliver one signature throwback New Wave riff.
The guitar parts are more imaginative than the synths and much, much more interesting than the beats, which is regrettable, because they are typically tucked so deep in the mixes. I wanted to remix the record with the beats much lower in the mix by the first chorus of the first song. I’ve seen this band live for one song once at El Lenador, and the live mix on that song struck me as better balanced than most of these mixes.
Also, downplaying the melodic instruments diminishes the dynamic pacing on successive verses—you can hear a guitar or key has been brought in with the new verse to make the song build, but the beat’s extreme prominence in the mix keeps the songs flat. This flat quality is not to my taste, but it gives this record its own unified sound. Local moviemakers should have Silverwalks in their library; it sets distinctive moods and cries out for soundtrack inclusion.
At times, these distinctive moods beg to be tested, perhaps shattered. I really start to want some driving instrumental solo to come along and take the song to some place new. It sounds like Kevin has it in him, but if he doesn’t that’s a missing piece they will need to find before this band can reach its full potential.
I’d like to think, new as this release is, that CaveofswordS will start to feel like they can beat this record before long. Bring down the beats, add some harmony vocal lines, lose some restraint on the melodic instruments and add an inventive soloist, and you’ll have an irresistible record.
What we have in Silverwalks is still really interesting, valuable and worthy of support. It’s a debut record with a stately, high-minded, well-thought-out atmosphere that is rare in local music and highly individual.
Silverwalks is available at caveofswords.com.
CaveofswordS live:
Friday, June 8, The Way Out Club (2525 Jefferson), with KrisTeen Young
Friday, June 29, The Heavy Anchor (5226 Gravois) with Sinfinis, Ou Ou, and Syna So Pro
Saturday, July 21, at The Jefferson Warehouse (2501 Jefferson) with The Luzhin Defense, Chris Ward, and Cory Flanigan
Saturday, August 18, at 2720 (2720 Cherokee) with Spectator and TBA.
