"...marries Mazzy Star to the ice-capped solemnity of Sigur Ros. Haunting..." --Rob O'Conner, Spin Magazine "At the intersection of alt-country and film noir stands Kira Lynn Cain, whose lavish, shadowy music conjures up all kinds of fanciful comparisons (Mazzy Star meets Ennio Morricone! Julee Cruise meets Calexico!) that describe the outlines of her sound, but not the essence of it. She intended to become a painter before pursuing music, and her vivid imagery gives songs like “White as a Dove” a surreal intensity — which makes sense, since the works of filmmakers such as Luis Buñuel and Maya Deren and writers like Andre Breton made a strong impact on her as a student at the San Francisco Art Institute. Cain learned to write songs by singing her own words over Hank Williams’ chords, giving her music a dreamy déjà vu that remains in “All the Mirrors of the World.” There’s also an innocence and elegance to Cain’s music that feels channeled from the vocal pop of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s that was the soundtrack to her childhood. This kind of music is often called “filmic,” and Cain doesn’t shy away from that vibe, given her David Lynch-ian website and the artwork to her upcoming debut album The Ideal Hunter, which suggests a vintage movie poster. The Ideal Hunter isn’t out until May, but Cain’s music is so spellbinding that it needs to be heard now..."--Heather Phares, All Music Guide "Wonderfully lush, slightly gothy avante-pop. Most of the album features slow, thumping percussion over lazy guitars swirling on top of dense atmosphere. Kira Lynn Cain's hypnotic Nico-like voice fits perfectly in the dark maelstrom of smoky, mildly creepy psych-lounge. Great music for a morphine overdose." --Adam Coozer, Readjunk.com "Kira Lynn Cain's sexy, languorous vocals conjure up kaleidoscopic images: steam rising from a twilit sidewalk after a tropical downpour, a smoky late-night bar with only one patron listening to the same song over and over on the jukebox while a bartender dozes nearby waiting for closing time, a slightly inebriated gal in a '40s film noir flipping a blond lock of her hair away from her face with a hand tipped by long red fingernails.Which is to say that Cain's music is richly cinematic and evocative, David Lynch meeting Philip Glass to write music for a spaghetti western. The orchestral tracks are cavernous, echoing, and richly layered, with percussion, organ, vibraphone, bass, and cello notes that hang in the air like drunken, dissolute angels looking for a soft place to fall as they float ever closer to the abyss. But despite the thick sonic textures, there's also a sense of wide-open, desolate space. The melodies, based on '50s R&B progressions and classical '40s torch songs, strike a deep chord, like an old song you've heard a thousand times in happier days coming back to haunt you in the lonesome midnight.Cain's vocals are mixed down so they float through the mix like another instrument, and the delivery is so measured that it's often hard to understand what she's singing, even with a lyric sheet in front of you. She draws out words into a breathless space where syllables become meaningless sighs full of melancholy regret. The effect is undeniably intoxicating, but listening to a singer-songwriter who doesn't seem to care if you can understand her can be an odd experience. " --J. Poet, East Bay Express "Singer-songwriter Kira Lynn Cain's The Ideal Hunter has been compared to PJ Harvey and more often Nico, but her eerie chamber folk sound reminds me more of David Lynch songbird Julee Cruise...The Ideal Hunter is one of those CDs that I love more with each listen, and I'm shocked that Kira Lynn Cain hasn't received more attention." --Muruch, Muruch.Blogspot.com "...Dark, a bit spooky, but with a gorgeous approach, Kira Lynn Cain makes these songs soar with great arrangements and a delivery that recalls a cross between PJ Harvey and Nico.The alluring and cinematic opener “White as a Dove” is pure heaven as her vocals hover over the music and the same holds true for the atmospheric “Arizona” with its dreamy accents. Part country and part orchestral pop, the performer seems in her element from start to finish, especially on the tender “Good” with her almost angelic performance. Most of this record is very heady and hypnotic as the psychedelic-tinged “Not With My Eyes” ambles along slowly while “The Strange Light” saunters along and almost puts you to sleep in the nicest way possible. This is not a record for those hoping for an uplifting experience, but one which is extremely pretty nonetheless.This is an artist to watch out for..."--Jason MacNeil, Popmatters.com "...Describe her forthcoming debut, The Ideal Hunter (Evangeline), in five syllables or less? Chiaroscuro. Talk about juxtapositions of light and dark: in one moment Cain guides her characters through tender waltzes under a golden glow, and in the next a knife gets pulled. Vibraphones twinkle amorously, only to be knocked around by a raging cello or a stab of Link Wray–worthy guitar. Timpani and brushed drums portend looming misfortune while Cain floats above it all, a temptress detached from the sordid drama below...." -- Todd LaVoie, from the San Francisco Bay Guardian Class of 2007 feature read the article Here "...The album’s overall effect is one of a soundtrack without the movie. Another standout track “All the Mirrors of the World” cries out to become a theme song. Perhaps someone will make the picture that so deserves to accompany the skillful sonic imagery of The Ideal Hunter?" -- Ev Hodge, Americana Roots Magazine "Languid and melancholy, sad and slow, with a brooding gloom-doom atmosphere that’s thick with anguish and despair, singer/songwriter Kira Lynn Cain’s striking debut album cuts deep and makes one hell of a lasting impression..." -- Joe Wawzyrniak, Jersey Beat "It’s not surprising that the debut from Kira Lynn Cain — a painter and film student — is often called “a soundtrack waiting for a movie.” The Northern California native has a handle on the spooky, ethereal “Twin Peaks” vein. With assists by members of American Music Club and Mother Hips, the instrumentation is dense and moody — vibes, strings, treated guitars — with Cain’s voice like a kinder, gentler Nico floating above the mix.If “Good” is one of the more traditional song in terms of structure (complete with lush string section), “Not with My Eyes” is the most intriguing, with sitarlike guitars, harmonium and cello creating a downright hypnotizing effect while “Under Somebody’s Hand” has a recurring melody that’s both majestic and mesmerizing. I doubt anyone will be humming her songs (or singing them at an open mic) but the overall presentation — as in the meditative “The Lone,” which has Cain singing nothing but “ahhs” — is both effective and gently powerful"--Michael Lipton, thegazz.com “Look, I'm not going to say ethereal enchantress Kira Lynn Cain creates music ideal for David Lynch films, but put it this way: if I were to make a movie featuring a severed ear, a hopped-up Dennis Hopper, and velvet of a certain hue, I'd probably want to keep her number on speed dial, if you follow me. Cain's after-hours torch songs float slow-drifting bubbles up to the rafters with elegantly crafted tales of yearning, but there's something about the brooding sounds of her guitar that suggests once those bubbles go pop, all hell's gonna rain down. One listen to "White as a Dove" --a Portuguese fado for the Twin Peaks set --and you'll be transfixed” "Sometimes a good glass of red wine to end the night is the best temporary solution to a permanent problem. I get the feeling Kira Lynn Cain knows, understands, and abides by this sentiment. On The Ideal Hunter, Cain takes this approach to heart, with her attempt at delicate folk coming out better for it on the other side." --Dave Tobias, Tracer Magazine “Her sound evokes images of Hope Sandoval meeting David Lynch for a three-o'clock-in-the-morning rendezvous in dreamtime. Haunting and beautiful.” |