Kaprekar’s Constant: Meanwhile…

I must admit that Kaprekar’s Constant are a new name for me and one who are seemingly more of a commune with artists and spoken word specialists among their number than simply a band. The collective hail from the UK and sound very much like they do, while still also appearing a lot more worldly than that.

For those equally unaccustomed, that Van Der Graaf Generator sax/flute/whistles man David Jackson is among this outfit’s number, while so is Camel drummer Mark Walker, reveals their class. However, these two are certainly not playing an overly burdened starring role, with the quartet of Bill Jefferson (vocals), Dorie Jackson (vocals), Al Nicholson (guitars/keys and much else) and Nick Jefferson (bass) all equally as vital in the band’s sound.

And what a sound that is, relaxed, meandering and yet totally focused and endowed with subtle melodies and intricacies. With two albums already under their belts, Meanwhile… is more of a stop-gap EP, with only four cuts being aired, two of which, “Deception� and “The Fever Tree�, will already be familiar to those who bought the band’s most recent album, Depth Of Field, on vinyl. Both, and the two new cuts, “Kissing Frogs� and “Dali’s Key�, are remarkably poised and sedate, with only little nuances and movements altering as they sweep over you. It’s an effective and enveloping way to get a message across and as a newcomer to the band, rather intoxicating. The vocal interplay between Bill and Dorie is quite spellbinding and just as with the music, the pair pay more mind to cajoling and persuading you onside than they are likely to insist you stay the course. And yet, you’ll definitely be intrigued and involved enough to remain fully focused on what this collective have to say.

As introductions to a band go, Meanwhile… makes for the most understated but still bold and proud invitation to delve deeper. That’s exactly what I’ll be doing with Kaprekar’s Constant with both their previous two full length releases and a new album that remains in the works for now.

Track Listing
1. Deception
2. Kissing Frogs
3. The Fever Tree
4. Dali’s Key

Added: January 7th 2021
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Kaprekar's Constant @ facebook
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Language: english

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