Whoaaa, what’s going on in Cane Hill land? With new single “Kill The Sun”, the New Orleans quartet couldn’t be further away from what we heard in Too Far Gone from Elijah Witt (vocals), James Barnett (guitar), Ryan Henriquez (bass), and Devin Clark (drums). “Kill The Sun”‘s opening lyric reference of blame subtly but very effectively takes a thread from the hectic and chaotic intensity of Too Far Gone‘s “Singing In The Swamp”, drawing us into something new for the band.
With their intention of being ‘as emotionally heavy as anything we’ve done before’, Cane Hill are going sonically softer into their sophomore EP Kill The Sun, which releases on January 18th. The six ‘semi-acoustic’ tracks are said to be further exploration of the band’s softer side, and a fitting match for the emotions that inspired them to create. As shared via social media, the band said “After Too Far Gone we had a lot of residual emotion that we needed to express with music more catered to the emptiness and darkness we experienced. These are our stories for you to find solace in just like we have.”
As in my review of Too Far Gone, I felt that the softer track of the album, “Singing In The Swamp”, was where it seemed that Cane Hill had got it ‘most right’, and I’d found them to feel powerfully united, and musically clear and strong. Based on this, I’m very keen to see what they’ll deliver in Kill The Sun.
The title track is our first taste of what’s to come in the EP, and an acoustic introduction with synthy beats and vocal effects is not what you’d expect at all. Regardless, the familiar vocals are unmistakably Cane Hill and we’re confronted with a warm toned voice which shares a searching story. A looping unsettled melody underscores a tale of self-sabotage and the negative impact of choices made. It hits a beautiful peak when voices join in elated harmony and lift upward into something more:
“But heaven knows, I fucking tried.”
It’s a treat for the ears with interwoven sentiments of letting go/not letting go, and aspiring to find a semblance of control. It’s a distinct difference for Cane Hill, but a very good one. As a listener I found it easy to sink into this piece of music that’s as thought-provoking as it is pretty.
The music video (filmed and edited by Ryan Chisesi) beautifully captures a contemplative and inner-conflict/insular state of mind, literally blocking out the light and burning memories. It’s akin to having lost something and having the good times become torturesome in their absence. Shadowy and vague at times, the imagery coupled with the sharpness of guitar and gentle melody paints an atmosphere of having to sit in discomfort.
Watch “Kill The Sun” via YouTube, and find more details on the EP below.
Kill The Sun Tracklisting:
1. 86d – No Escort
2. Empty
3. Save Me
4. Kill The Sun
5. Acid Rain
6. Smoking Man
Pre-order Kill The Sun: https://RiseRecords.lnk.to/KillTheSun
