Search - Karate :: Cancel: Sing

A short Epic

eightpointagenda | Chicago, IL | 03/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Karate is truly a rare band. One that combines a few musical styles/influences seemlessly with musical intricacies and gives the listener an auditory bath. In short: Karate rocks, even on a two song EP.Both songs have mix of rock with an improv. jazz dissonance thrown in. Sometimes the songs have a spacy, lounge feel reminding of perhaps Kind Of Blue(not of the same caliber mind you) mixed almost a downbeat intensity of Fugazi(something like the slower songs on Red Medicine or The Argument). The vocals are done in a half sung/half sung variety made popular by John Mcrea from Cake(though much better). So what makes this CD so great? The songs on here are very tight and are done with some high caliber musicianship. Because of their length, they lend themselves to some dynamic and seemless shifts from rock to jazz and back again. Intellgent lyrics that remind you of songs like Waiting Room or Turnover instead of worthless teen angst ridden rock. It's the type of album that makes you want to lie down on your bed and let your body suck in every ounce of it's musical goodness. Yeah its only two songs long, but when those two songs are better than the majority of music that's popular today, it makes it all worth while. Short in length, wide in musical depth. This is a short epic. Probably one of the best recordings I've heard in along time."

Good but a bit disappointing...

eightpointagenda | 04/03/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I like this EP, musically it's excellent. What I miss is a bit more melody. Both the songs on Unsolved and The bed is in the ocean had stronger melodies than these tracks. Cancel and Sing are both very loose "jammy" kind of songs which build and release tension. I just feel sometimes they lack hooks and energy. Excellent musicians like the guys in Karate have to watch out not to start "wanking" musically and playing long solos just for the hell of it. Before they've managed to have just the right amount of that. Here I think they are treading dangerously close to that line..."

They only get better...

M. Nix | Louisville, KY. | 03/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yeah, what that guy before me said. These guys are unique- Two 10 min+ songs with great intensity and sometimes mellow. The vibe of this CD/ep is like "Bed is in the Ocean" and "Unsolved." If you listen to these CDs you can hear the progression in songwriting and musicianship etc... If you like any of the following bands, you should like Karate-
Slint, Fugazi, Shipping News, Tricolor, Isotope 217, Chicago Underground, etc..."