Rand & Holland
Caravans
9 Track, LP (2007, Spunk!)
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There’s a surprising but nevertheless welcome sense of radiance to Caravans. It’s as if the dawn has broken over a band that, though never overwhelmingly gloomy, have certainly served their time in music’s more melancholic territories. To open with a track called ‘The Light’ seems perfectly fitting: a pale brass line calls from the background and Brett Thompson sings, “The light is shining on me” with trademark huskiness. It’s joyous, though entirely understated; like Will Oldham, Sodastream and Nick Drake before them, Rand & Holland know that happiness can turn on the slightest chord change.
Tomorrow Will Be Like Today demonstrated to a listener that Rand & Holland are firm believers in the ‘less is more’ maxim; Caravans only underlines with added confidence their songwriting approach. Simple ideas don’t have to be pushed; a mere handful of notes and words is enough to convey the largest emotions. It’s only January, but I’m willing to bet that Caravans will be one of – if not the – outstanding local album of the year.
by Emmy Hennings
Four years after their acclaimed debut, Rand & Holland return with...
