KARMA COUNTY - Pacifico (Vitamin)

Karma County have always been pioneers of the sidelines. They've been recording excellent, innovative music since their debut back in '96, Last Stop Heavenly Heights. Their sound has expanded from their original country pop concept, never completely left it behind.

The band's last release was 2001's overlooked Happy Birthday Dear Customer. Since then a year's break from the road became a two-year hiatus. Things were looking grim for fans, until the three original members got together to kick around some tunes for a possible EP and ended up creating their fifth album, Pacifico.

The album was recorded live by long-time collaborator Tim Whitten and mixed by Jeremy Allom who also helped Karma County frontman Brendan Gallagher make Jimmy Little cool again on the breakthrough Messenger. There is a relaxed tone that puts it in danger of having the listener drift away from the music. This is countered by a good spattering of different sounds that never let the audience drift too far. The slight traces of country give way to an understated mix of roots, blues and a hint of jazz.

The album opener, 'Til, sends Gallagher's reverbed vocals reaching out for a lost lover: 'Cos I love you is all / But you won't call. The tempo takes its largest shift with the next track, Dexter & Sinistra. Mainly spoken word, it's the rambling tale of hard love on the tracks. The lyrics are voiced by His Ockerness Brian Brown. Apparently there is an appropriate film clip, featuring Brown, a barbie (Barbie?) and a longneck.

Many of the following tracks are mellowed out ballads, the kind which Karma County fans will be well familiar with. A couple of exceptions include the sun-drenched New Emporer of Sad and the ambling Almost All the Way. A hidden highlight is the second-last track, the gospel-tinged Abolutely Away.

DANIEL CORBETT BEAT MAGAZINE