Kingsbury Manx - Let You Down
(Overcoat)
The Kingsbury Manx's second album, Let You Down, is very much a continuance of their self-titled debut, doing the same sort of slowcore folk psychedelia, this time with a bit higher consistency of quality, sounding slightly more folk and slightly less slowcore.
Listening to Let You Down side by side with the Beta Band's Hot Shots Part II, it's clear that these bands have quite a bit in common. Both take folk and psychedelia, particularly the 1970s varieties, play them at a slow to moderate tempo creating soft, pastoral blankets of sound. The Beta Band is more experimental, emphasizing techno-inspired beats, while the Kingsbury Manx is much truer to the 1970s originals, like Barrett-era Pink Floyd and The Byrds, and as such uses harmony and melody more acutely. Compared to the Kingsbury Manx's music, the Beta Band's music seems paper thin, the few guitar chords hidden underneath the beats, emphasizing the spoken, chanted vocals. In comparison, the Kingsbury Manx always put the guitar and bass high in the mix which alongside the warm vocals--acting like a true melodic instrument--create a very rich, thick, warm sound.
This mellow, warm sound is the key to the Kingsbury Manx's music as it is consistent to the point of monotony. If in the right frame of mind for Kingsbury Manx's music, it is quite appealing--a calming, soothing influence. It's mellow pace and soft tones are aural valium, slowing down the mind and making everything but sleep impossible. The lyrics--the words here being much less important than how they are sung--are tracers for this drug. In "Simplify," the band sings of simplifying their lives, "balancing lows with highs." The bass pulses gently, the guitar being played at a moderate pace but seeming much slower, its staccato nature feeling like the blinks of an eyelid when preparing for sleep.
The music here makes you feel like you're stretched out on a hilltop staring at the clouds, watching them slowly drift by. There's nothing interesting about the clouds themselves, but being able to concentrate on something so pure allows you to relax your muscles and let go of your mind. The Kingsbury Manx's music suffer slightly because it is somewhat monotonous, but that is also part of the point. These are Saturday night meditations for the inebriated; any complexities are a hindrance.
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