ABOUT
Raikes are Keepers
It’s been a whale since I crossed the divide on this blog into crashing cymbals, beautiful male harmonies, units of intricate heart-noise and electric guitar. Such a whale it seems; a big gasping mammal on the Sea’s open mouth, an estuary of crumpling cliff faces, aching pictures and birds of prey. But I can fit that whale in my car, on a main road. And cars on main roads are good places for cascading cymbals, beautiful human voices and big belting units of terrific heart song, tidal waves of electric guitar.
I haven’t even listened to this EP by Raikes in my car, I can just imagine doing so because this music appeals to drive and determination, it appeals to eyes dead-straight forward, staring unblinkingly at a road ahead, no-one there but yourself, but for imaginary whales, but for all the glimpsed faces in other cars driving by, overtaking, falling behind, alongside for a second.
So, what I mean is, the lyrics of these songs have solid volume, they resonate in my headspace, my big old seed-filled headscape. Particular focus of this introduction lies on the last song of this 4 track Bandcamp release; Keeper. That’s where the 4 songs climax feelings-wise, the big crashing cymbals after the collected surge; the EP is a successful wave of emotional progression, an effective break for heartless times.
Back to the whale, gasping and dry, asking weakly to go home. Raikes are the kinda band that will drive that whale, drive that whale to the sea, get out the car, carry it, all four of them, on their shoulders, wade into the water, let it free, and then watch the animal swimming away, spurting water upwards gratefully. Seems like a lot of effort. But, in this story, the whale is your listener’s whirly whirling ‘baggage’, and the hard effort is the seamless work of a band’s rash rational romance of words, a band that sound friends, a unit, picked up by the right rock drums, tied together by cool-headed strings; guitar’s and hearts’.
So there you have your analysis of a metaphor that still hopefully doesn’t make too much sense, a set of reactions to leave your combination of curiosity and drive a blank canvas for the love and language of this beautiful-sounding band, their Quiet EP.
A Pocket Full Of Seeds