Somewhere in the distinctly blurred and distant past, I remember hearing an album called Karamelien. Karamelien is an uncommon word and I doubted that I would ever hear it again yet, just recently, I did as the name of a duo behind an album called “Living With The Moon.”
Karamelien - Léanie Kaleido & Mark Foster – have more than a thesaurus by their side with a literacy clearly evident in their less than fluffy, and often acerbic, lyrics. Don’t get me wrong though for there is much in the way of sentimentality being used to fuel their creative forces which, if you think about it, is actually unusual in these days of five minutes and forget sugar rush emotions yet there clearly is also a compensating darkness residing in their collective songwriting heart. The accompanying music is, almost inevitably, mellow with occasional detours into the downbeat yet all that is here soon leads the listener down the correct route to reach the intended destination.
“Living With The Moon” does feel kind of old fashioned but I would think that many will regard that as a good thing. The songs have enough substance to bear closer scrutiny and Léanie Kaleido’s voice certainly blends fragility and purpose into an appealing sonic concoction with the result being indeed pleasing to the ear.
Best song: The acerbic “Digital Imogen”
Verdict: More substantial than you might expect.
Available from Bandcamp.