In my research on Gavin Caine’s fifth and final record, Is Lemons, I found a post on the esoteric peak-Myspace-era social media platform Perfectly Imperfect from user @CowboysOnAcid24 who wrote: “Is Lemons by Gavin Caine… Listening to this as I’m typing… I LOVE IT!! I’m bad with words, so I don’t think I could explain this album well, so I think you should just go listen to it. Right now.”
And I agree. So that’s it, then. Article over. What else do I need to write? Well, maybe you have questions such as “Who is Gavin Caine?” and “What do you mean by fifth and final record? Is he done with music for good? If I enjoy this album, will I have no more chances to get my Gavin Caine fix?” Let me provide some answers.
Caine, who originally hails from Queens, NY, now calls the greater Boston area his home base for his artistic endeavors. He has self-made his music, writing, recording, and producing as a solo unit. But Is Lemons, the fifth album he has released under his name, will be the last of its kind: Caine is moving on to create music full-time with his band, The Alaskas.
As a send-off to the solo project, Is Lemons captures a collection of both old and new tracks showcasing Caine’s individual style, which gleefully refuses to fit into any genre. “Pretty Little Golden Rings” sounds like a pop-punk banger turned up to eleven, with layers of harmonica, wildly modulating synths, banjos, and fun percussion providing lots of ear candy. But then the next track, “High Plains Drifter,” takes a turn toward brooding, with Caine’s voice low over a repeating finger-picked guitar, sounds of water splashing, and radio static.
It’s clear that creating music is an act of joy for Caine, who shows no regard for limiting himself when it comes to his art. The crunchy DIY sound of “GC-129” flares with distortion, the compressors struggling to hold back the wall of sound rushing out from Caine’s guitars, synths, and drums. The following track, “Jumpscare,” doesn’t let up on the gas, throwing a shredding guitar solo in for good measure.
But In Lemons has softer moments as well, with songs like “Broken String” and “Wishbone” taking a more folk-oriented approach. The final track, “I Don’t Know You Anymore”, also slows things down, with Caine singing over guitar and bells, providing a peaceful end to a passionate project.
Despite the title of that last song, it’s clear that Caine knows exactly who he is and what kind of music he wants to create. And in pouring all of his joy into his music – on this album, previous solo records, and the music he’ll make with the Alaskas – he transfers that joy to each listener. There’s something for everyone on Is Lemons: On top of the aforementioned songs, there’s the straight-forward pop of “Tell Me You Love Me”, the emo-tinged “Barcade” and “Old Trick Dead Pony”, the indie banger “In A Car”, the psych-pop of “Guy Who Likes Symmetry”, and the reflective “Two Wolves”.
One review on Rate Your Music describes Caine’s music as “everything pop”, and that seems fitting: Caine knows what kind of sounds catch the ear and pours all of it into his music, choosing the right chords, the right instruments, and the perfect arrangements to make his songs shine.
In Lemons is a perfect finale to Caine making music under his own name. It looks back to the past, when Caine wrote some of the songs on the album in the back of his car in Boston. But it also looks at the present, showing Caine’s growth as a musician, and provides a good look ahead to what he’ll create with The Alaskas going forward.
Again, to parrot Perfectly Imperfect’s @CowboysOnAcid24, you should just go listen to In Lemons right now. And should you require more of Caine’s music in your life after listening to the album, The Alaskas will make sure you have no shortage of it. After all, there is much more music to make, and much more joy to spread around.
Written by Will Sisskind
