| Too often album covers have absolutely nothing to do with the music that comes from the disc inside. Clue to Kalo’s second release, however, sports a vibrant, warm design that actually goes a long way in describing the sound contained inside the plastic jewel case. Australian Mark Mitchell is clearly a master at creating lush tapestries of cozy sounds. Flourishes of jangled acoustic guitar, samples of perfectly placed piano and horns, and timely subdued drum work that tip-toes its way across the record all help establish a warm, natural environment on One Way, It’s Every Way. So unlike many electronic recordings that feel colder and ultimately distance themselves from the listener, this record is quite easy to connect and feel close to. Add to this Mitchell’s wispy vocals, which have been compared to Elliott Smith more than once, and you get an electronic record with a great humanistic and personal tone. In fact, many tracks, such as “Seconds When It’s Minutes”, could sneak their way into a non-electronic release without even the slightest turn of the head. One Way, It’s Every Way’s biggest weakness may be that it’s one of those albums that fails to resonate for long after you finish listening. None of these songs are going to get stuck in your head for weeks; probably not even one day. The only track that even comes close to being “catchy” is “The Tense Changes”, but the album is a joy while it plays and for that it should be considered a success. After all, not every artist’s goal is to drill music into your head and have it remembered for all eternity. Isn’t enjoying a record while you’re actually listening to it the most important thing about music anyway? Too often the listener forgets this and thinks one can’t enjoy something if they can’t dissect every snippet, play every bit and piece in their head for years to come, and label it “greatest album of all time!” Some music is simply better judged not by its lasting impact, but by its instantaneous one. And the instantaneous impact of One Way It’s Every Way is truly inspired. The record has enough twists and turns to keep the listener completely engrossed in the music and it’s undoubtedly one of the most intimate electronic releases I’ve heard in quite some time, certainly intimate enough to attract even the most casual listener. Even so, this isn’t the “greatest album of all time!” It isn’t even an album that will last long in my musical rotation. But as the snug electronic sounds ooze out of my stereo speakers on a day that I’ve witnessed the season’s first snowflakes, it’s quite comforting. So in judging One Way, It’s Every Way purely as an album to be listened to and enjoyed in the moment, it is remarkable indeed. - Harmonium |
1XLP/Out Of Print