The music on "Saints and Stars" is a hauntingly laconic amalgamation of roots americana/country/folk sounds. These pieces are beautifully understated (with the exception of the upbeat and catchy "Sebastian") and never once in my many listens did I find myself musing at length about "production", for this I tip my hat to producer Jason McDaniel. Well done.
This melange of style is infused with a wistful quality that is easy to mistake for melancholy. These are lovely, lush songs filled with introspection and restraint but they're never depressing or self-indulgent. Perhaps it's because there's a strong current of hooks in these songs, an appeal that should be found in good pop music. Or perhaps it's that Kal Cahoone knows when to expand her palette.
There's a bit of world-music and south-of-the-border horns to be found on "Beside the Shilmar" and hints of pop-psychedelia on "Another Lovely Day". Kal knows when to shift up to a slightly higher gear and when to hold back (without holding out).
In the end though, it is Kal Cahoone's voice that keeps me coming back. I have no-one to compare her to. Her style, phrasing and timbre are all her own. There's an *appeal* here I can't escape. To call her vocals sensual is to miss the mark, but they are seductive in the truest sense of the word. When she sings I'm pulled in, there is a gravity (though not a gravitas) in Kal Cahoone that I find emotionally compelling, irresistible.
