Brooklyn's Caveman is far from barbaric or prehistoric in sound or outlook. On its self-titled sophomore album, the five-man band is poised to hypnotize the modern age with its delicate, artfully constructed work.
Caveman is an unhurried, Eastern-tinged record. Tinny New Age via New Wave instrumentals join with dingy garage rock tendencies, psychedelic electropop accents, layered Appalachian harmonies, and campfire folk to create an album that feels like a living world, full of depth and mystery. While songs make aural nods to bands like Local Natives, Beach House, Divine Fits, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, and Fleet Foxes, Caveman present a unified sonic entity that synthesizes rather than steals. The group chemically combines several well-known indie sounds to form an entirely new substance.
Although Caveman progresses slowly, without rush or particular oomph, its tracks trickle beneath the skin. The environment the album evokes is lush and lovely, measured and complete. Lyrics are mostly simple and impressionistic, built into the woodwork of the record, dreamily supporting the musical environment even as they lack freestanding memorability. In consequence, the album is challenging to interpret or penetrate but easy to sink into.
Caveman brings the listener to a place of comfort, a cave worth dwelling in. Although it is at times an abstract, ponderous effort, its sumptuous beauty and cooling flow shimmer and refresh, promising greater wonders to come.
Grade: B+
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