| Kyle =
Cashen=E2=80=99s Immediacy Of=20
Music |
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| October=20
30, 2008 |
![3D""=20](3D"http://www.whatsupyukon.com/images/stories/mini_masts/discourse.pn=)
Kyle=20
Cashen, part of the Whitehorse power trio Friend Called =
Five, has=20
released a long-awaited, full-length CD of original songs =
under the=20
banner of Crash the Car.
A comparison, albeit unfair, to =
Neil=20
Young=E2=80=99s Harvest album, rose to mind while I was =
listening to They=20
Built Houses Here for the first time. There is something =
about=20
Cashen's record that harks back to Young=E2=80=99s recording =
of 38 years=20
ago.
Is it the resonance of songs such as Building or the =
way the=20
chorus of We Don=E2=80=99t Always Have Light cycles near the =
end? There is=20
honesty in his voice and immediacy of music that hit me at a =
gut=20
level.
Cashen, the main driver of this project, is =
supported by=20
an incredible group of fellow travelers that constitute, =
what I=20
would humbly consider, some of the finest Yukon Indie=20
musicians.
Micah Smith handles the bass, Ken Hermanson=20
contributes lap steel guitar, Fiona Solon adds her vocal =
talents to=20
the mix and multi-instrumentalists Jordy Walker and Walter =
Bloodway=20
fill in the audio cracks with various keys, strings and=20
electronics.![3D"=E2=80=9CThe](3D"http://www.whatsupyukon.com/images/stories/2008/oct_30_2008/discou= "3D\"=E2=80=9CThe")
Cashen has taken his music from a place of =
simplicity=20
-- the artist alone with his instrument -- to a place where =
others=20
can share in the music and contribute: the studio=20
environment.
Bloodway's production of the album and =
Walker=E2=80=99s mix=20
are the final keys to this venture.
Dappled with sound =
from the=20
almost imperceptible percussion and delicate tones, both =
discordant=20
and harmonious, to consuming and cyclical mantras, the =
arrangement=20
of the songs is as important to the tone of this album as =
the music=20
itself.
After listening to the album a couple of times, I =
started=20
to hear the deeper music. One pass through these songs would =
be a=20
crime.
Windows, water and wire reflecting on the past and =
holding=20
back clear communication, whispering to the floor while you =
make a=20
path in it are all themes that Cashen explores within this=20
album.
The song writing is a model of quiet urgency, =
somewhat=20
moody with a voice that begs for understanding in a =
peripheral world=20
that evades perception. These elements are fused seamlessly =
to=20
create a tone that sets in motion a cascade of images =
receding in a=20
rear view mirror, forever illusive.
Heavy stuff for a =
young=20
musician: to be responsible for your creation, the minds of =
your=20
listeners. Ain=E2=80=99t that what an art is about?
I =
feel Cashen knows=20
exactly what he is doing and he is not asleep at the=20
wheel.
Simply put, Cashen has hit upon a sound that no =
musical=20
GPS can pinpoint: there are no maps for these =
territories.
This=20
album is a strong beginning to what I hope will be a long =
and=20
prolific career.
They Built Houses Here will be released =
on Nov.=20
19. Look for it at your favourite local CD =
purveyor.
Check out=20
Crash the Car on the web at www.crashthecar.ca or listen to =
select=20
cuts at www.myspace.com/crashthecar.
Bill Polonsky =
can be=20
contacted for CD reviews, freelance opinion or no good =
reason at all=20
by e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You =
need=20
JavaScript enabled to view it
.
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