Kid Decker

Uncomfortable memories, intimate miniatures, short stories of the silent horror. Indie-arthouse cinema as folkpop. "The loved ones call their arrival / the little boy cries". Alone these two lines from the Munchkins, and at this time of year! We see the somewhat intimidated boy under the windowsill, outside the boots of the dear relatives aproach through the crunching snow. "Then comes a knock at the door" ... What is this fear? With the next piece Craig "Kid Decker" Saunders gives us courage: "A chance to make a difference", taking his life in his hands and changing it? "You can / You look about ready". Strange, however, that it sounds more like a warning, and with Your Kind one almost always automatically looks for the failure. Saunders arranges music as Kid Decker whose stories must be read. Stories, which, in addition to the usual instrumentation also have cello, violin, piano, melodica, ukulele, trumpet and flugelhorn, to help in it's development. Stories, whose atmosphere is both depressing and comforting as the words are so well selected and put, and the sound so distinctive of a soul in turmoil. It is no wonder that in the booklet strange photographs of gnarled trees and flowered wallpaper are depicted giving it an even more menacing look, because this space is a space of solitude, somewhere out there where people struggle for words. It's nice that Kid Decker still has the desire to include Reveries a track installed with a swinging soul-revue. Vocally, he is on the way, and a very attractive one, between the drama of Muse and the melancholic clarity of a Neil Finn of Crowded House. It's wonderful. - Visions Magazine

We weren't familiar at all with expat Kid Decker, though, and his set in the Hanseplatte record store is a huggable thing indeed as he recaptures perfectly the warm vulnerability and inclusive amiability of the new acoustic movement and even manages to involve the audience in a split-up pantomime singalong; we'd not seen anybody do this since Ms Dynamite in her Proper Pop Star phase, and we're reminded that we'd like to see it a whole lot more often. - The Fly

Behind the name KID DECKER lies the British singer / songwriter Craig Saunders, who at first seems to address melancholy in his debut album. At the beginning loneliness and fear of loss dominate accompanied by fragile vocals,delicate guitars, cello and violins. It recalls in its thoroughly despondent melancholy that of the debut album from the King Of Convinience. Beautiful melodies and a cold world hurled like a silent accusation.
But don't worry, KID DECKER sailes the sharp cliffs of the dangerous lurking sentimentality with skill and sensitivity, and spoiles my ears with (in spite of some initial skepticism) a number of really beautiful pieces. whose catchy cold weather cuddly romance also fit well to an incidental winter. The tempo is also on occasion lifted, saving any fears of it becoming to monotonous. The heartache Love Song "Falling" is a fine guitar riff refined slow-rock song. In "Reveries" comes the surprising sounds of trumpets and horns giving the number a nice brisk soul feel. Yes, it is absolutely brilliant. In general, the instrumental diversity is a clear benefit to "Your Kind". Aside from the string and wind instruments ukulele, harmonica and piano are also in the repertoire, and can be heard subtely throughout the album. Although KID DECKER's certainly produced music for a genre fabricated by countless similar solo artists with a penchant for sensitive pop, it would not surprise me if he prevails, perhaps a much larger number - he certainly has the potential. - Terror verlag

Singer-songwriter-pop at its best. An English musician, living in Hamburg, named Craig Saunders brought out at the end of 2010 his outstanding album, "Your Kind". Vocal brilliance, for the genre varied instrumentation and great songwriting make all the difference. Such is successful integration.

"The Munchkins" opens the album, very quiet, a very fragile vocal is accompanied by a melodica and subtle strings. This leads to a certain drama and melancholic place in the second song, "Look About Ready". This works just as oppressive, especially through the dark lines "The darkness arrives it's the end of the day [...] Your time's almost through trapped in your cell, " but somehow also comforting: "You can ... you can [...] A chance to make a difference make it all worthwhile. "Even before one begins to fear a consistently melancholy album (which can be quite nice, too) Craig "Kid Decker" Saunders reactes with "Reveries" a highlight of the album. A brisk and quite danceable soul mood lifter with horns, strings, ukulele and Saunders' voice that impresses in it's style. This instrumental diversity is the greatest strength of the album "Your Kind ". Always used subtley, Kid Decker and his producer Thomas Lebioda never over do it. All instruments are appropriate in the use of the songs which contributes to the high quality of final product. "Too Late" deals with a relationship ending, but a positive mood still manages to run through the song. Where as"Stone Cold" is straight out meloncholy, we hear only Saunders' voice and his guitar, a typical but severe singer-songwriter tune.
(translated from German) - Coultique

I’d like to start this review by making a daring case. The extraordinary thing about Kid Decker’s music is, it’s ordinary. I know this sounds absurd and you may ask yourself why I would recommend an ordinary album.

I do so, because “Your Kind” reminds me of something really important: you should never take things for granted. And the funny thing is, we usually just take the ordinary things in life for granted. So much for the philosophic part.

Craig Saunders aka Kid Decker is a singer-songwriter from Somerset in South West England. He decided to move to Germany a few years ago and made his mark by playing live a lot, co-organizing the folk festival Melodica and winning the German music contest Krach & Getöse (which means something like Noise & Bluster). His music is neither noise nor bluster, but straight folk. Sometimes uplifting, sometimes melancholic, the Lo-Fi production of “Your Kind” teases out a lovely private and homey feeling.

Listening to “Your Kind” fells like slouching in my favourite armchair. To most people it looks ordinary, because it’s obviously not a Red Dot Design awarded armchair. It has it’s sitzmarks and scuffed spots here and there, but I love it and I would desperately miss it, if it was gone. - Music is okay