Invitation Songs

True to its title, the Cave Singers’ debut welcomes you in. After a few listens, you will likely reciprocate, letting its music crawl inside and make itself comfortable. There’s an overall mood of something hopeful, almost spiritual, on this album, in spite of its darker moments. The songs themselves are influenced by old-time folk and Americana, with hints of the 60’s (also evident in the Pet Sounds font used for the cover), as well as a more contemporary indie sound, at times accompanied by horns. The result works well, evoking something that would feel at home around campfire hand-claps or in a hipster bar in the Pacific Northwest, though in a pure and authentic way. In a similar vein, singer Pete Quirk manages to pull off that popular rusty-tin-can vocal sound, without coming off as hokey, forced, or self-conscious. Thus, both the name of the band and the album’s woodsy cover art actually provide a fairly accurate description of the music.

“Seeds of Night”, “Royal Lawns”, and “Elephant Clouds” have a hazy familiarity, with mellow yet catchy guitar hooks and a pace that shuffles and builds like a train. The acoustic tune “Oh Christine” is fun and airy, while “Cold Eye” is downright beautiful. Heavier subjects are addressed on “New Monuments”, “Called”, and the rousing “Dancing On Our Graves”, which complete the full range of feelings captured on an album that is often driven by its emotion.

Where Invitation Songs falls a bit short is it’s subtlety. Although its quiet charm is certainly a strong suit throughout the album, it also prevents it from really taking the next step. While there are no unpleasant points, and really, a handful of excellent ones, there is nothing truly amazing here. This leaves the record teetering somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars, depending on one’s mood, which is certainly worth repeated listening. Recommended.