Caveman’s Coco Beware: The Best Friend You Haven’t Met Yet
By C. Schiff
The Brooklyn-based band Caveman has achieved buzz the old fashioned way: word of mouth. Caveman released their debut album Coco Beware in November of this year. A bartender friend of the band played the album in his bar every day. The patrons would hear it, love it, and come to Caveman’s shows. Overtime, word of Caveman’s mellow sound and sophisticated harmonies spread. In a world where YouTube can bring an artist from obscurity to stardom in a matter of months, Caveman’s success seems old fashioned. Similarly, their sound evokes a sense of nostalgia. Like My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, their sound is often guitar driven with a heavy dose of reverb.
On the first listen, the album’s songs have a comforting familiarity. Not only does this sense of familiarity increase with further listens, but the band’s grit becomes more apparent. The immediate accessibility of this album makes its bolder elements all the more appreciable.
Caveman is reminiscent of the Shin’s mellow sound and their perfect vocal harmonies are decidedly beach pop. The percussion on Coco Beware sounds like a drum circle and is organic in its inclusiveness.The tracks on this album bleed together, moving seamlessly.
The stand-out tracks include "My Time," "Vampirer," and "My Room." "My Time" brings similar upbeat guitar progressions to ones found on many Strokes songs. The song manages to feel both mellow and pop at the same time. It showcases this band’s confidence explore different tones. "Vampirer" is the most haunting track on Coco Beware. An eerie instrumental track, it uses carnivalesque sounds and reverb to evoke a sort of sad nostalgia. Caveman’s mellow, gritty sound is best represented on the final track of the album, "My Room." This track’s misanthropic lyrics contrast with silky vocals and primal percussive rhythms. The effect is both soothing and introspective.
Overall, Caveman’s debut album is very promising. Its sense of familiarity makes Coco Beware the best friend you just haven’t met yet.
