Sunday, February 22, 2009

ten kens - ten kens


Another fresh signing to the FatCat roster, Ten Kens eponymously titled debut album was released in September 2008. Familiar yet idiosyncratic, with an already finely honed sensibility towards conveying their own volatile mix of bittersweet melody and spiked alt-rock, their sound is by turns introspective and belligerent, shot through with a pensive air and a contrary swagger, relayed via cavernous reverb.

A record very much informed by their earlier recordings, but sounding fresh and revitalised, ‘Ten Kens’ is very much informed by a collective drive and ambition, and firmly places them in the realm of their contemporaries, recalling the likes of Liars, Black Mountain, Black Heart Procession and Arcade Fire. Laid down in June 2007, the band recorded practically all day and all night for two weeks straight. The band’s goal was simply to capture the spirit unique to each song, but the album naturally possesses a widescreen sense of drama that pervades the entire LP, the songs sitting together as a tangible, fully realised entity. The record, released in September 2008, was lapped up by critics and fans alike, and touring followed in November 2008.

Fat Cat Records.com

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