The Caribbean - Verse by Verse
(Endearing)
"Quirky pop" is one of those terms that is used so much that it
has basically become meaningless. It can mean anything from odd,
truly unusual experimentation like His Name is Alive to slightly
more smarty pants guitar rock like Pavement.
The term is bastardized for sure, but it is the only way to
describe The Caribbean's first full length, Verse by Verse.
But even the word pop doesn't always seem to apply to the music.
By definition, pop music has hooks, and it's hard to listen
to The Caribbean's music and put your finger on something and say,
yes, that is what the band is trying to reel the listener in with.
Instead, the music has that rare quality where you just feel like
listening to the album again and again. There is nothing that grabs you and
tugs you along; the music just creates a pleasant aura--an interesting
room full of sound.
Creating an interesting sound is the key to The Caribbean's music.
"I'll Simplify My Life (in Fremont)" is really just a piano ballad with a
few vibes tones, a keyboard sound, a cymbal, and a ping pong ball, but the
elements are altered, muted, and layered to create something interesting.
"What Would Jane Jacobs Say?", a walking tour of the band's
home town of Washington, is a cacophony of clanging, stammering guitars,
clashing against the soft tones from the reverbed vocals.
"Front Row at the Rodeo" uses acoustic guitar along with whimpering,
shivering vocals and Joan of Arc-like keyboard accoutrements. The song
is very layered, from a subliminal bassline to a wah-wahed keyboard to the
consistent drums, creating very busy--but not cluttered--music.
Instead of jiggling a dangly brown worm in front of the listener,
The Caribbean's pop caters to the bottomfeeders. They create a thick,
pillowy stew of plankton and debris--a comfortable, pleasing
environment of odd, interesting sounds that your ears will want to return to
again and again. A much better fate than the hook...
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