Kaka: Kaka

Kaka (aka Richard Karlsson), has very interesting musical tastes, judging by this record, which spans a wide array of genres. Whether it’s the terribly sweet “What a Frame”, the opening “Forward” that sounds like the Raconteurs doing a Beatles cover, or the equally happy and whistling-inducing “It’s a Longshot”, which resembles Peter, Bjorn and John, Kaka knows what he’s doing and he does it extremely well. Formerly of the Melody Club (an appropriate name given how sweet and infectious this record is), Kaka goes a bit retro during “Ball and Chain, Darling” which could have been a great Duran Duran hit in their ‘80s prime. Even when Kaka goes light and airy, as is the case with “Can You Recall It”, he has all the sensibilities of highbrow pop maestros like XTC’s Andy Partridge and others. No track truly comes to the fore, as it’s a series of continually stellar efforts, especially “The Hotspurs (The Less We Know the Faster We Go)”. Even when he opts for the light, almost aquatic ambience of “Burn the Bridges”, Kaka comes up shining.