:: Califone - Roots and Crowns

Califone

When I pulled this CD off the pile on my desk, I should have remembered the rule of thumb for all music reviewers: the more beat-up the album appears, the more likely it is you are holding a gem in your hands. Califone has contributed to the well worn effect, deliberately designing the disc inside to resemble a cheap pirated copy. The low-key presentation is in keeping with Califone’s rich twanging guitar driven sound, tinged with country-blues and roots sensibilities, as if the songs are written as an open invitation to ‘mosey on down’. The musical approach is akin to British band Gomez, featuring collaborative, experimental songwriting that is unhurried and unconcerned with conventional choruses. In their spare time, most of the members of Califone contribute to film soundtracks - including the horror film ‘The Lost’. Creative improvisation is a positive side-effect of their day jobs; ‘Spiders House’, features the sound of a piano with duct tape and paper clips over its strings, producing an earthy track that says: ‘Kick off your boots, it’s been a long week, but you’re home’.