Swedish project ME AND MY KITES was born in the spring of 2012, and from what I understand musicians from a number of different bands contributed to what would be Me and My Kites debut album “Like a Dream Back Then” which was released in the spring of 2013.
This production is an aptly named one, as it certainly has a spirit of being back there. There being sometime in the 1960’s to pinpoint the mood and atmosphere that seems to be a fairly permanent fixture of this production, at least to this set of ears. There’s a certain feeling of real innocence throughout, of someone regarding the world through a set of very innocent eyes. Or perhaps someone trying to block out the parts of the world that is anything but innocent, as a darker and more solemn mood does occasionally surface amidst the feeling that we’ve been transported to an idealistic hippie commune as far as mood and atmosphere is concerned.
The greater majority of the material appears to have been constructed inside a framework were pastoral folk music and early 60’s pop/rock with a Beatles orientation forms the boundaries. Careful rhythms, acoustic guitar, playful piano textures and plenty of flute details in positive spirited, naive creations with male or female lead vocals on top. You will find a bit of Mellotron too, if I’m not much mistaken, and I does think I heard some violin and saxophone in there too as well as some sounds that may or may not have been produced by a clarinet. These latter instruments mainly adding details with a dramatic or otherwise atmospheric effect more than dominant instrument additions as such, alongside some careful electric guitar details both refining the innocent atmospheres as well as adding a further dream-laden layer to the proceedings.
In some instances a more solemn atmosphere does take over the songs however. In part, as on opening cut Back When I Came and at the very end on Birds in My Hand, the former hitting an early Floydian distinct psychedelic sound with a mournful organ a distinct and ominous sounding presence, in the latter darker toned, harder edged instruments are used to supplement lyrics that does take on a darker and far from naive message prior to returning to a more naive and positive expression again. The short and intense Rude, But Beautiful is arguably the compositions that goes furthest in exploring a somewhat darker overall mood though, and for that as well as the general intensity of this song this is my selected cut from this charming production.
If you long for a return to the age when mankind was more innocent in general, have a soft spot for psychedelic folk music and generally enjoy bands that explore a 60’s oriented sound with a folk emphasis, Me and My Kits is a band that warrants an inspection. In particular if you are intrigued by bands of this type that also manage to incorporate the occasional darker sounding detail to their excursions.
My rating: 82/100
