Audbile "Sky Signal"

Formed by ex-members of Matt Pond PA, Audible has seemingly appeared out of nowhere and now presents the world with a stunningly beautiful debut record, Sky Signal. Ostensibly, the band was nothing more than a solo side project of Mike Kennedy, drummer for several different bands. After playing several well-received shows, he added longtime friend Jim Kehoe as a guitarist. Both men joined Matt Pond PA, and Audible returned to the back burner. And though it must have sucked at the time, their tenure in Matt Pond PA didn’t last, and thankfully they decided to revive Audible, expanding it to a full band and making it an active recording and touring project

Sky Signal is a quiet killer, and as a band, Audible can do no wrong. With a pace that’s both driving and mellow, they exude coolness with every song. Their rhythms may often remind you of Spoon, a mellower, less intense version of The Cars and a more countrified Weezer, but their heart is pure pop. It’s obvious from the first moments of “October Song” that Audible is a rather special band. Rhythms are catchy and groove-oriented; the pianos and guitars and percussion—all of these are mixed to perfection, creating a pristine sound that plays well next do Kennedy’s beautiful voice—which is already quite perfect—which is often accentuated gorgeously with female voices, provided by Mary Garito and Kristine Muller.

It’s his voice, though, that will win you over. With all the charm of a soft, fluffy kitten, Kennedy’s a wistful, intelligent singer who has a very keen sense of melody and an even sharper sense of harmony. Blended over the band’s gentle songs—the music is quite simple and almost too subtle for its own good—the combination produces songs that are dreamy and memorable, while being extremely low-key. “From The Third Floor” starts off quite downcast, and you might not think it registers with you on first listen, but after it finishes, you’ll find yourself humming the melody all day long. Same thing with “Sunday Bell” and “Motorcycle,” all sung with Kennedy’s gorgeous croon and made even better by the band’s accompaniment.

Sky Signal is a warm, glowing debut. It’s perfect ‘mood’ music; it’s mellow enough to make you relax, but it’s upbeat enough to get you excited about life and romantic enough to be tender and gentle for those moments when you need the mood to be tender and gentle. 2005 could (and should) be Audible’s year.

--Joseph Kyle

Artist Website: http://www.audibleband.com
Label Website: http://www.polyvinylrecords.com