Those who know me well, know that I am rarely writing about live recordings. Don’t get me wrong, I do love live recordings. There’s something about live performances captured at the moment and preserved on a preferred music carrier that motivates me to explore even further about particular bands. The atmosphere is unique, intimate, and you get the feeling that the group performs live only for you each time you decide to spin the vinyl on the turntable. Still, the vast majority of groups lacks high-quality live recordings, so their recordings are nearly pointless if you can’t capture that specific reverby atmosphere while listening. Luckily for all the music lovers, a live version of The Stories We Write For Ourselves by Kendall Street Company is one of those high-quality recordings where you can hear every melody, note, beat, and accentuation. It offers so many listening pleasures that you will hold onto this record for a while.
Kendall Street Company is an improv-alternative rock quintet from Charlottesville, Virginia. In the course of several years, the group released an impressive amount of releases, such as Space For Days, three mini-album installations of RemoteVision, and The Stories We Write For Ourselves. Besides the beforementioned recordings, Kendall Street Company released several singles and extended plays, such as a self-titled EP, Lunar Dude EP, a single named Deep Blue Sea, and The Nautical Aquatical EP. Later on, the group promoted the studio version of The Stories We Write For Ourselves with series of singles like Lady In Green, Go On, and Waiting On A Train. Recently, Kendall Street Company released a double single called I Rly Luv U and a live performance of The Stories We Write For Ourselves, recorded at FESTY during the release show. Today, I will talk a little bit further about their live performance.
This particular recording includes the album performed live in its entirety, with compositions chronologically presented like on the actual studio album. The group goes completely experimental but keeps in mind the aspect of balance within the songs. Therefore, the entire material contains both improvisational and traditional schools of performance. Kendall Street Company relies upon the alternative rock aesthetics but also includes more ingredients along the way. You’ll notice elements of Americana, folk, indie folk, indie rock, post-rock combined in polyphonic harmony. The group also incorporates jazz improvisations and experimentations during the album, cleverly masked by the indie-folk ambiance. Perhaps this seems a bit too much, but every element is combined to perfection without harming the actual aesthetics.
What made me come back to their live recording several times is their passionate, sincere, professional approach to these numbers. Kendall Street Company are doing this for the pure love for the music but also keeping in mind the professional aspect of their performance. Their music is gentle but detailed at the same time. Therefore, you will unquestionably soak all the melodies, harmonies, rhythmic sequences, various virtuosities, and orchestrations included in this record. Their performance in FESTY liberates that specific intimate performance I was talking about at the beginning of this article. You will get the feeling like the group is performing specially for you.
This live material is available at streaming services like Spotify and Bandcamp , but you can also grab the studio version of The Stories We Write For Ourselves on vinyl on their website or Bandcamp page. Don’t miss this one if you’re into passionate indie music.
Source: thoughtswordsaction.com