Kai Reiner lives in proximity of Hamburg, Germany. But rather than play the Cavern Club, fans of Teenage Fanclub and Pernice Brothers will find a lot to like in Kai Reiner. The relaxed strum of Rickenbacker melodies that are densely produced and will please plenty of guitar fans. Kai’s vocals are soft and understated, he relies on the jangle to carries the songs here and it works for the most part. Highlights include the opener “Cold Summer” where the chord changes recall an Alan Parsons mid tempo song and the driving melody of “I Don’t Want Your Crown”. While very listenable, many other songs lack the emotional strength to make them distinguishable from each other. A few songs really need a stronger bass line, like “Roll On The Holidays” or a stronger vocal on “Emily” to make these songs truly memorable. Still the musicianship here is superb and the melodies are solid on every single song. And the songwriting is solid too, with a good example of this in the simple romantic “Brown Eyes” where “you said hi/ and i said hey/ and we both knew, there was nothing more to say. I get lost in your brown eyes.” Jangle pop fans will not be disappointed and want to seek this one out.
My Space | CD Baby