latchkey kid

Slackstring - self-titled
A drawing of a VW van parked next a pair of palm trees at sunset adorns the cover of Slackstring's debut, a release that perfectly captures that late afternoon beach front malaise. It is the precise soundtrack for anyone opening a beer or burning one down when the work of it all is finally being set down for the day. Full of warmly wistful acoustic ditties, the whole album feels comfortable from the first listen.

There's a directness that's refreshing. The music hasn't been fussed with too much and the rough edges make it all the more dear to me in an industry increasingly obsessed with polish. A couple of instrumentals complicate things nicely and in their more tender moments Slackstring remind one of the bedroom pop of Elliott Smith's Either/Or.

At just a shade over a half-hour it's one of those perfect records to put a wedge between you and the rest of your day. Like The Replacements' Let It Be or Nick Drake's Pink Moon, both classic half hour corkers, it lets us grieve the workaday disappointments and makes us guardedly hopeful for what tomorrow might bring.

Dennis Cook
JamBase San Francisco Bay Area
[Published on 12/9/2002]

- Dennis Cook

Released in 2002, Slackstring’s self-titled debut album brilliantly captures the feel of a lazy summer afternoon at a beach somewhere in southern California, burns it onto a CD, and delivers it to the listener. Every aspect of the disc points to the band’s pervasive feel of genuine simplicity and low-key good times. Even the cover art consists simply of the band’s name underscoring a VW wagon parked beside two palm trees silhouetted in a sunset. <br> - dayton vielguth

Expect to hear a lot of Jack Johnson comparisons when discussing the southern California rock outfit Latch Key Kid. They boast the same laid-back, unhurried charm of the surfer-cum-singer-songwriter Johnson’s tunes, in a style best and most concisely described as surf- or beach-rock. The inevitable comparison is, however, one that fails to convey the range in musicality that Latch Key Kid demonstrate in their live set, as was made clear on a relaxed June night last week on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip.

Sandwiched between two loud, aggressive bands in a rather motley lineup at the world-famous Whisky A Go-Go, Latch Key Kid provided a welcome respite amidst the cacophony and proved that rockin’ the house does not presuppose juiced-up amps or angsty guitar distortions. Starting off with the breezy “Turn It Out,” the first half of their set showcased a barebones, stripped sound guided by frontman Gavin Heaney on guitar. The acoustic strummings and folk rhythms recalled a hint of Simon and Garfunkel, but their incorporation of a muted trumpet added a dimension not often explored in the modern rock scene. A bit reminiscent of ’40s-era improv jazz, the horn lent a sound at once retro and new.

Despite somewhat indistinct vocals from the soft-spoken Heaney, Latch Key Kid performed with a vim and vigor that energized their easygoing casual-ness, keeping it from lapsing into the realm of the overly loose, the aloof, the vaguely indifferent. The song “Reckon Ball” prompted my companion to utter, “It’s like reaaaaaaaally mellow ska!” Mellow, yes, but played with a vitality that rendered it simultaneously intense.

With a mid-set switch to electric guitar, the latter half disclosed a sultrier, bluesier musical sensibility. Harmonica licks, vocal harmonies and unmuted horn let loose upon the freer, unrestrained feel of the last three songs in a vibey experience that pushed them beyond the boundaries of clean and simple surf-rock. I’d like to see these guys jam.

Latch Key Kid avoided wearing out their welcome and left the stage after a short-and-sweet set, leaving one wishing for more as the next, unremarkable group took their place onstage with some more pedestrian aggro rock.

- www.crazewire.com