There is probably no greater compliment from a Johns Hopkins student to say that a band makes for good studying music. In the midst of midterms, the latest disc from sibling trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis will keep you not just focused but downright cheerful. Smoking In Heaven <\/i>is a pop throwback that still manages to sound fresh, tossing basically every type of genre and instrument into this collection of songs. Being that all three of the Durham siblings are multi-instrumentalists and have been performing together since 2000, the ease and talent of the tunes here is no surprise. <\/p>\n
The album launches out with \u201cTomorrow,\u201d a seamless blend of beachy Hawaiian and ska (featuring Jamaican trumpeter Edie \u201cTan Tan\u201d Thorton). Daisy Durham\u2019s vocals are endlessly charming, like a 60\u2019s diva. Though Smoking In Heaven <\/i>is only the trio\u2019s sophomore effort, the material here is an ineffable combination of wise beyond its years and charmingly na\u00efve. It was recorded and produced in Lewis\u2019 home studio, giving the songs a loose, natural feel. In an era of ProTools, when everything can be tightened and glossed to perfection, it\u2019s refreshing to see musicians playing straight from the heart \u2013 no frills, just the music itself coming alive for the listener. <\/p>\n
Easily the album\u2019s best feature is the fact that each of the Durham siblings takes the lead on vocals at one point or another. Lewis\u2019 tracks \u2013 \u201cDon\u2019t Make A Fool Out Of Me\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m Coming Home\u201d \u2013 are a particular standout. While his sisters\u2019 voices are excellent in their own right, toeing the line between innocently and sultry, Lewis gives his songs a more raw mood. \u201cDon\u2019t Make A Fool Out Of Me\u201d sounds like it could be coming out of a jukebox decades ago, with Lewis singing plaintively over the shuffling drums and lines like \u201cWell, now you told me honey baby that you was happy now \/ But you went and found yourself another man anyhow.\u201d Meanwhile, \u201cI\u2019m Coming Home\u201d veers away from the done-me-wrong sentiment, but it loses a bit of steam because of its quiet, guitar-strummed gentleness.<\/p>\n
Every song here has its own unique flavor. \u201cI\u2019m Going Back,\u201d with Daisy on vocals, is a rockabilly gem, all swinging guitars and double bass keeping the rhythm. It\u2019s pure vintage in feel, but the band\u2019s obvious passion is there and it makes this track a fun listen. Most of the material is as traditional-sounding as the lo-fi equipment and \u201850s instruments that it was recorded with. The song structures are simple and bluesy, recalling everyone from Chuck Berry to Elvis at times. <\/p>\n
Still, the one caveat to Smoking In Heaven <\/i>is that the songs can sound a little too similar at times. Also, there are times that Kitty, Daisy & Lewis veer towards being too authentic. It\u2019s somehow easier to imagine this power trio in a smoky club in 1950 than it is to imagine them opening for Coldplay (which they did on their last world tour). Still, if you\u2019re looking for an album that recalls a truly bygone era, Smoking In Heaven <\/i>is an interesting, enjoyable listen. These songs of love and loss are, of course, just as applicable in 2011 as they would be listened to on vinyl decades ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":30791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[8759],"rating":[5615],"class_list":["post-42465","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-kitty-daisy-lewis","rating-rating-b"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=42465"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=42465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}