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Virginia, North
Carolina, & DC

Kingsbury: Self-Titled EP
[self-released]

Here I am, slightly awake from my nap and I feel pretty calm and peaceful for the first time in a long while. The knots in my shoulders seem to have taken a break for a few hours, and my head is resting in one place. As Kingsburys new EP spins in my little CD player, Im taken farther into a music-induced ease and deeper into my old thoughts. This four song album calls back ghosts from the eighties dark, psychedelic scene, including The Church, Echo and everybody else who made a cameo in Donnie Darko. I hate to say it, because it is used too often as a tool and is usually a misguided claim, but Mr. Bruce Reed does carry a bit of that strung-out, manic depressive Velvets air to him.

Listed as influences in the press kit are the Pixies, Radiohead and Pink Floyd; however, this is really not so apparent on their record. There are small, obvious influences, but theyre not trying to be any of those bands. Good. The EP still rings unique and pretty original. From the Pixies, they do draw a bit of that dark-edged, lonely feeling. Radiohead and Pink Floyd, I could perhaps see some influence in their wandering landscapes of music, beautiful somber piano playing and the view of an outsider peering back in at the world. The drumming has a bit of a Radiohead-esque quality in it at times as well. The feeling is removed and distant, which creates a spacey, hypnotic, relaxed mood. Its the feeling of watching dark clouds creeping and conspiring above, yet knowing that things will be alright. Through a soft whisper and reverb laden guitar, Reed lays down an ocean of music, rocked gently by his backing group of a perfectly matched patchwork of musicians. Although the songs are dark, they are remarkably beautiful, and each instrument is woven delicately into place. This is exactly what I needed on this day off.

If this quintet rolls through Colorado, I will definitely be swinging in for a beer. I look forward to hearing an even more comfortable full-length from these guys. This EP was simply too short.

P.S. The packaging fit perfectly into place as well. Solid.

This album can be purchased at the Kingsbury Official Website

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