Kaleide

Sky Larkin

Released on 02/08/2010 by Wichita Recordings
Main artists: Sky Larkin
Genre: Alternative & Indie

Available in

16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo

Unlimited Streaming

Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps

Start my trial period and start listening to this album

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Digital Download

Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.

If Sky Larkin were to be deconstructed and studied in a scientific laboratory, the results would show a band built on the foundations of American indie rock but with undeniably British sensibilities and charm. On the six-string, Katie Harkin channels a female, Leeds-born Steve Malkmus to create unpredictable musical landscapes that twist and turn, refusing to repeat or stagnate. Vocally, however, things move a little closer to home. On the title track of Kaleide, Sky Larkin's second album, Harkin declares "As far as I can tell/Characteristics I exhibit have shown in you as well/Based on this evidence I'm willing to risk it", her delivery sharp and clear and the sentiment undoubtedly British. But, to again contradict this, Kaleide was recorded in Seattle with John Goodmanson, who worked with the band on their debut, The Golden Spike, and has also fittingly produced Sleater-Kinney and Death Cab for Cutie. While clearly the work of the same band with the same ideals and vision, Kaleide is a welcome step up musically from The Golden Spike. For a start, Harkin’s vocals are stronger and more confident than before and Nestor Matthews is really hitting those drums, creating towering, elaborate walls for the guitar and the bass of Doug Adams to contend with. Fortunately, they do all that and more, with opener “Still Windmills” a prime example of how to make a three-piece sound interesting, fun, and big. Meanwhile, “Landlocked” throws the listener into a false sense of quietude, beginning with a gentle strum and Harkin practically whispering a melody in our ear, before a thunderous intervention from Matthews that leads to the song hurtling toward a joyous riff. All the while, Sky Larkin manage to remain tightly knit even on the most complex arrangements, always stopping just shy of feeling out of control. On “Spooktacular,” the band gets heavier and more mischievous than they’ve ever been, yet “ATM” is a reminder that Katie Harkin is equally capable of pulling at the heartstrings as she is letting us know that “There’s a spook at the spectacle and he’s wearing your face.” Kaleide is an addictive, unpredictable, and adventurous record that refuses to stand still, jumping back and forth from one side of the Atlantic to the other with apparent ease.
© Daniel Clancy /TiVo

More info

Kaleide

Sky Larkin

You are currently listening to samples.

Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.

Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.

From £10.83/month

Still Windmills

00:03:04

JOHN GOODMANSON, Producer, Mixer - Sky Larkin, Composer, Lyricist, Artist, MainArtist - Domino Music Publishing Company Ltd., MusicPublisher - Wichita Songs Ltd, MusicPublisher