The Cave Singers - Invitation Songs (Matador Records, 2007)

The Cave Singers do not seem to be of this time, and yet they are just as much a part of the here and now as you or I. Their music - a melange of sounds rooted in the folk and blues of early 20th century America - flows forth from the speakers in waves of warm, acoustic guitar; a steady, brushed drum-beat keeping time; and a voice at once idiosyncratic, vaguely familiar, and completely original.
Seeds Of Night, the opening track on Invitation Songs, is also one of its finest. An understated gem featuring all of the elements that makes this band such a joy to listen to. One of the first things you notice is the vocals of singer Pete Quirk, who - given his vocal delivery - has a particularly apt surname. His is a voice that is sure to divide the opinion of listeners, in much the way a young Bob Dylan's voice still does to this day.
Invitation Songs is a wonderful album that moves seemlessly from the slow burning numbers such as Helen and Elephant Cloud, through to the chugging, bluesy stomp of Dancing On Our Graves, and the darker blues of New Monuments - in which Quirk sings of "a house of disrepute where I lost my mind." Far from doom and gloom, though, Oh Christine - perhaps the albums most upbeat moment, and certainly one of its finest - immediately follows New Monument, and brings with it a fresh dose of the warmth that Invitation Songs seems bathed in. This album is one of 2007's hidden gems, and one that you should definitely add to your collection.

Check Out: www.myspace.com/thecavesingers

Sounds A Bit Like: Excerpts from Alan Lomax's collection of recordings.