Ten Kens
Ten Kens (Fat Cat)
When told that the ‘next big band,’ comes from USA, the prediction is merely accepted and we all sit back and wait for the hype. Yadda yadda yadda. However, if told said band hail from Canada, then such information is somehow even now still received with a degree of surprise. Despite the spate of excellent bands emanating from there in recent years we are yet to be convinced to treat that country, musically at least, with the same degree of courtesy and acceptance. (Perhaps our subconscious has been permeated by the prejudiced thoughts of the South Park parents?)
So – that said, Ten Kens come from Toronto (and that’s in Canada!) and they will most certainly become one of the bands to watch out for in the latter months of 2008 and into the New Year. Accept it, sit back and await the hype.
By its release-date, this album will have taken over eighteen months to produce, but it will have been well worth the wait. Eleven tracks over forty-one minutes showcase the diversity and talent of this four-piece unit. Granted, it did take a few listens to fully appreciate the intricacies, subtleties allied to the sheer power but there is no denying that this is one classy debut album!
Comprising of one guitar, a bass, drums and a vocalist, Ten Kens manage to produce a really full and varied sound. Opening track, ‘Bearfight,’ opens slowly but soon explodes into a dramatic and dark anthem with the vocals sounding that distant, echoed way as if recorded in an empty warehouse. (This seems to be the method of choice as the technique is utilised on several other tracks also.) ‘Downcome Home,’ has a more upbeat acoustic, almost folk / country feel to it. ‘Refined,’ pares back on the pace with a haunting and atmospheric opening which erupts after a few stop / start teases.
‘Y’all Come Back Now,’ reverts to the eerie and echo sounds before ‘Spanish Fly,’ lulls the listener into expecting a flamenco-influenced piece, before quickly changing direction altogether and opting instead for loud, pounding, chanted, guitar based song along the lines of the excellent French band Underground Railroad. And then as if flaunting their versatility, Ten Kens slip into ‘The Alternate Biker,’ with its spoken lyrics riding the wave of surf-guitar. A dirty bass-line and distant backing vocals give the feel of a manically smiling Dick Dale holding a bloodied machete above his head.
The mood is lightened with ‘Prodigal Sum,’ which, along with the next track is probably as close to a commercial, bouncy sing-a-long song as these guys are likely to get. ‘Worthless and Oversimplified Ideas,’ has a slow, almost ska-like opening before opening into a cacophony of guitar and a chorus dripping with hook.
‘The Whore Of Revelation,’ sounds like the choirboys in a cold, barren monastery have been given guitars and amps to help them practice in the cloisters. ‘Your Kids Will Know,’ portrays a similar image, though with a bit more edge and menace lurking in the background.
Final track, ‘I Really Hope You Get To Retire,’ is the most downbeat track. A bit of a drone, however something new is discovered on each listen, and like the preceding ten songs it should be listened through in its entirety for fear of missing something.
Yes – a tremendous debut album and a band worth watching out for when they tour UK later in the year.
The bar has now been raised for aspiring Indie bands contemplating the release of their own debut work. In the immortal words of those South Park parents – “ Blame Canada.”
Colin Jackson
