I was going to start this review by pointing out that Kal Cahoone was a member of Tarantella and that there's no higher recommendation than that.
But listening to the "Build the Fire" EP it quickly became clear to me that Kal is now a remarkable artist in her own right, not just "somebody who was in some band or other".
This is a brief introduction to this talented performer (only 5 songs) but all you really need to experience is her voice for just a few moments and you'll be dragged in. Like Zoe Boekbinder, Kal Cahoone's voice is instantly, and distinctively, her own. You'll never mistake her for another singer. There's a strength and humbleness to her style that is inviting even as it hints at unplumbed depths. She sounds so *human*, so real, yet there is no fragility in her voice.
Musically the focus is on Kal's voice and her piano. "Build the Fire" has all the earmarks of a "bedroom" recording, and this gives the songs the power of intimacy, but the production is so crystal clear and strong that these pieces are full and complete works. You never feel like your listening to demos for a "real" album.
My favorite tracks are the circus-accented "Boomerang" and the electonica-informed "Ghosts of Herod".
