Kimone

Their bio reads like a progressive music fan’s wet dream, with the names of producer J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airplanes) and touring mates like Karate, the Album Leaf and Denali jumping off the page. A listen through recalls Radiohead’s compositional brilliance, Björk’s staggering range and Godspeed’s enveloping climaxes. Why then does Kimone leave a bad taste in the mouth? It appears as though their attempts to straddle the line between mainstream professionalism and independent credibility has backfired. The songs are absolutely mind-blowing but the aesthetic in which they’re produced is too dry and lifeless to appreciate the songs on their own. Despite loud guitars and symphonic blasts, Meres of Twilight would be better suited for the stereo at a dentist’s office than a P.A. system at a rock club. Production probably shouldn’t be blamed on the band, but it’s hard to admit that J. Robbins (the same man that had a hand in great records by Faraquet and Dismemberment Plan) has lost his touch.