“Otero War” by Caveman
It’s my understanding that on this endeavor to listen to and actually hear the bands that we come across, what we seek is relevance–something that has a substantial link to anything close to what we can understand as quality.
After giving quite a few thorough runs through the album Otero War by Brooklyn’s Caveman, I at first reluctantly recognized that link to quality that we always hope to hear from up and coming bands. The album begins and ends with songs that strike a chord that can only be explained as personal and honest. “Never Going Back Again” kicks off this album at a poppy pace but invokes feelings of sincerity, while at the end of the album their delirious track “I Need You In My Life” seems to haunt and relate to a part of me that cannot be denied.
The album is riddled with tracks that have an undoubted source in the ’80s — greats such as The Cure, and The Smiths — and evolve into the glam indie rock sounds of The Killers, The Strokes and local favorites The Helio Sequence. It must be noted however that this band has achieved a sound all their own.
In the end, although this new offering is hit and miss at times, the band is honest, has an undeniable link to quality and is definitely worth some listening. »
– Ellis Samsara
