Kinski - 'Be Gentle With The Warm Turtle' (Sur La Plage)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
Just as it looked as if we were going under, too. For, the fair isle of the UK currently seems to be treading water in a deep sea of garage-punk bands that, to be frank, all sound quite a bit similar to each other... Sure, talent a-plenty, yet the concept of variation..?
Well, finally, the rescue-boat is here. And, despite being from the same family-tree that has provided us with luscious spaced-out noise for generations (The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Spacemen Three), right now, nothing could sound quite as fresh, quite so essential as Kinski. Not surprisingly, seeing as this is the first release in Europe for the Seattle-based group, you'd be forgiven for never having heard them before now. What you won't be forgiven for, however, is ignoring them now they've arrived.
Refreshingly, it's not always raucous, too. Opening track 'Spacelaunch For Frenchie' starts off with wandering guitar-chords - successfully maintaining a healthy Spiritualized-esque ambience - before, after a mere six minutes or so, seamlessly changing into the pounding cacophony of 'New India'. Always abrasive but never violent, as demonstrated on such numbers, Kinski enjoy that rare gift of being able to make so much artificial noise that eventually it begins to sound like the most melodic and natural thing this side of birdsong... Presumably, it takes immense talent to turn something initially so harsh into something so moving.
But, OK, OK, you should be informed of the truth; fittingly, you see, as the group possess so much skill in the area, 'Be Gentle' is predominately an instrumental LP. But, don't run yet - because over the seven tracks, not including the equally valid hidden song, guitarist Chris Martin (no, not that Chris Martin) does get to use his vocal-skills within the incredible tones of 'Newport', although, even then, these are reserved for only the first half. Another saving grace and standout effort, meanwhile, is 'Daydream Intonation' (possibly a nod to the 'Youth, whose seminal 1988 LP naturally shared a similar title), perhaps best illustrating the driving heart of the group: the sterling rhythm-section, as provided somewhat sublimely by Dave Weeks and Lucy Atkinson, forming a continual grip on stringent order whilst Martin and co-guitarist Matthew Reid-Schwartz work their angular six-stringed dissonant magic. In all, the whole project is not far off genius, quite frankly - and, thankfully, doesn't ever quite reach the anticipated snobbery one may expect within any one of its sonic soars.
As said once upon a time on the matter of secrets - they're either too boring to tell or too good to keep. So, as satisfying as it would be to possess Kinski as a private obsession, it seems doubtful that you'll be granted the pleasure; there's simply so much going on here that the sharks are bound to latch on soon... No, Kinski just can't stay underground for much longer. They've very nearly blown its roof off.
Artists in this article: Kinski
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