Mistletone

The Grey Goose wing by Kes has been named # 3 in the annual Mess + Noise 2007 Critics’ Poll of Australian releases.

Hooray! Here is how super scribe Shane Moritz summed the Kes album up: 

Perusing the internet for critical praise of this strange bird, this wild goose, I came across four references to experimental, two for surreal, three for organic, one haphazard, two romantic; there were four mentions of its outsider status, two references to its sense of fun, three mentions of delicate and psychedelic, one mention of psychedelicate, two fresh, one playful, three timeless, two unusual, one esoteric, one out of the ordinary, one it’s so fucking warm, one weird, but not too weird, three said it was just plain weird, one genuine, two sincere, three chaotic, four beautiful, five unique, ‘one serious and silly and this juxtaposition works in Kes’ favour,’ said Richard MacFarlane in Brag Magazine. There were three funnies, one solemn, one high, two stoned, two yelpings and one loosey-goosey, there was one discovery of abandon, three pastorals, one off-kilter, two off-keys, five eccentric, one wobbly, two lively, one ungainly, one skewed, two enthusiastic, three mentions of adventurous, two happy, one unhindered playfulness, two easygoing, one child-like, two quirky, three enigmatic and one unusual soundscapes with rich filmic qualities. Of course there was.

Yet, no mention of Karl’s guitar (no frills, just his fingers and feeling) and how it cries out like a Princely purple dove to his Rumpelstiltskin voice (it does); or how the harmonica on ‘Irritating Gift’ sounds like it was pried from the grip of Stevie Wonder sometimes in the mid-80s, or nothing about Laura Jean’s lovely vocal turn on ‘Ghost’, or how Julian Patterson’s drums rock better than any album since BDP’s ‘Love’s Gonna Get’cha’ (and those beats weren’t even made by humans!) I dig the bum notes and studio mirth, the giddy retardation of vocals and what’s up with the absence of Satan on the songs that go backwards, I want to know! Also how ‘Only When Asked’ has the power to compel dorks at a Dungeon & Dragon’s convention to turn into happy hippies and dance like the punchbowl was spiked by Kes. You’d think Karl and Co. would have a stockpile of psychedelics, but no, they are dedicated tea drinkers, probably the maddest part of all.

– Shane Moritz

ps. The follow up to The Grey Goose Wing, simply titled Kes Band, is out March 1 and we promise you it is amazing!