Brooklyn-based band Late Cambrian may have a prehistoric name, but their music is far from going extinct. An award-winning blend of art rock, prog rock, and post-punk (among others), their sound is still very much evolving.
Their new single “Kin Precipice” delivers exactly what you’d expect from such a band: The unexpected. This time, it’s an alt-prog-pop song with a dark heart.
At first this feels like an innocent folk singalong – a jaunty waltz with an irresistible warmth – but around every corner, there are little hints of another dimension: Strange sounds, odd fills, and even a (very brief) time change.
It’s a huge sound, bright and crisp like a summer morning. The vocals punch straight through the mix, with effervescent harmonies and hooks abound. I loved the number of twists and turns in the song: Virtually every bar has something new to savor.
The music feels elated and triumphant, but the lyrics tell a darker tale. It starts nicely enough – celebration, family, love – but it soon twists into ceremonial masks, being bound and gagged, screams, drugs, and blood. What are we to make of it all? Celebration? Sacrifice? Captivity? Liberation?
“Amazing sights from left to right,
found family I love, all bathed in light.
Each one in ceremonial masks,
if you want to leave, now’s the time to ask”
I’m a sucker for a beautifully melancholic melody or lyric, so when John Wlaysewski sings “Take me, oh, take me away from here,” I was totally sold. His voice goes from conversational to anguished, with just a hint of vibrato adding to the passion of the line.
Whether this is a celebration or a nightmare, the band has captured an emotion and a tension that works beautifully on either side of the divide.
“Kin Precipice” takes you to the edge of something great, then gleefully gives you a shove. Take a listen below.
Written by Grubby
