Kaleo's First Selection More Wispy Than Pretty

It's nice to have a mellowed out Icelandic musical alternative to Bjork. She's bold, daring, and unafraid to mix it up with the paparazzi. Folksy foursome Kaleo don't ask much of its audience if opening single "All The Pretty Girls" is any indication. Are the kids irritable during the road trip? If you slip this into their iPods they might surprise you and peace out for a spell. To add to that this video's delicate unfolding isn't too hard on the eyes either. Wave after wave of billowing musical cloud gazing. The lyrics put meat on the bones. That's saying much of what the overall harmonies aren't. "All The Pretty Girls" has a wispy texture to it that doesn't linger long in the brain pan. If that was Kaleo's goal then mission accomplished. Folk isn't supposed to command the migraines common to heavy metal in its various genres and sub-genres. The '70s made its living off of gentle melodies crafted by tunesmiths like John Denver and The Carpenters. Kaleo warrants a thank you for allowing us to catch our collective breath after digesting the crazy stylings of Bjork and her Vulnicura opus. That's one dark undertaking that only she could have made palatable. But, steering back to Kaleo. Songs that allow the flyer or driving miles to soar past has its place. Trouble is we must ask ourselves, "Will this song be talked about five years down the road. I know that's a tad harsh given Jokull Juliusson, David Antonsson, Daniel AEgir Kristjansson, and Rubin Pollock are newbies to the scene. They came into consciousness in 2012. The four need time to garner a reputation, street cred if you will. Theirs is a studio loft package painted in creamy, light strokes designed to tickle the cranium instead of add to the hubbub. Kaleo gives us a protagonist named Samuel. He's turned backwards by the unfair life he's grappling with. Girls like him though, so all can't be tumultuous in his world. Turns out he's waiting for them to get older so he can sweep them off their feet. It's nice to have a plan in mind, whether it comes to fruition or not. How coquettish they are. Nobody's lending him a helping hand. He tries and tries to declare his intentions but it gets harder and harder. The man wants one of them to lay him down. No translation necessary here. Gliding figures can be very attractive. Take ice skaters or dancers for example. Watching their well rehearsed yet seemingly effortless movement gives their performance the exquisite transcendence Olympic dreams are made of. "All The Pretty Girls" glides in that roll-on deodorant gentle touch up way. For unwinding after a brutal corporate merger this song can relocate your centered place. As a statement beyond audio window dressing I'm not confident a strong shelf life awaits. Jokull, the vocalist of the bunch contentedly stays rooted in the upper register. "All The Pretty Things" amounts to a pretty lullaby. Kaleo needs to bring more to the table if prolonged success in the industry is a goal.