MP3: The Kissaway Trail - It's close up faraway
My god, "Smother + Evil = Hurt" is such an achingly beautiful song. It's the kind of song that grabs you right away, the very first time you hear it. And that longing, desperate vocal! It's a heartbreaker. But that's not the Kissaway Trail song I'm going to post for you today. By all means, go seek it out elsewhere, but I want to showcase the band's softer, more delicate side. They do the epic bombast thing very well, however it's songs like "It's close up faraway" that prove they have more to offer. That frail falsetto is gorgeous and the wordless refrain a perfect counterpoint. There are many obvious parallels to the Arcade Fire beyond them sharing the same cover artist and making good use of mandolin and banjo, the artist I'm reminded most of on this song is A-ha. It's that ineffable Nordic melancholy quality, I guess. The rest of the record leans more heavily towards the louder side of things, but the fact that they can pull off a piece like this shows them to be a force worth reckoning with. I would not be at all surprised if these guys blew up after SXSW.
The Kissaway Trail - It's close up faraway