The Kissaway Trail - Sleep Mountain (2010)

While listening to The Kissaway Trail, I kept thinking of The Arcade Fire and Death Cab for Cutie. The Kissaway Trail’s brand of indie rock relies on a very spaced out, atmospheric vibe. The songs tend to start slow and gradually built to a huge-sounding climax. They make heavy use of ambiance, using strings to build tension like The Arcade Fire. The record also feels very safe. It’s approachable, unchallenging, and wears its heart on its sleeve. The music is beautiful throughout, though it isn’t really distinctive. Anyone can play a pretty melody, and The Kissaway Trail do that throughout the album. The problem is that it is very clear what sort of sound they are going for, and they do not do it as well as some of their obvious peers. Additionally, at 55 minutes, the album is too long. You probably won’t remember anything ten minutes after it ends unless you spend a lot of time with this album. My favorite track is “Don’t Wake Up,” which uses a pleasant organ melody to make it stand out slightly. The drumming is the most lively component of the band, and it goes a long way to lending a sense of hugeness to these songs. The Kissaway Trail are a band worth watching, but they haven’t done anything especially noteworthy yet.

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