Kite Party: Come on Wandering

There is a palpable sadness and vulnerability permeating tracks on Kite Party’s Come on Wandering that touches perfectly on the sense of unease experienced leaving adolescence behind and attempting to figure out what comes next and, beyond that, how best to face the uncertainty of impending adulthood and real world responsibility. Chiming, jangly intertwined guitars undercut by rumbling bass and drums establish an atmospheric framework upon which post-adolescent themes are explored via vocals that often cling to the pitch, falling slightly flat at times in a disaffected, resigned manner that, while not necessarily an off-putting distraction, detracts slightly from the lyrically melodic urgency of the instrumentation.

That said, Kite Party ably joins the ranks of similar, like-minded groups exploring similar sonic and thematic terrain in a longstanding tradition that spans from the Replacements through to contemporary groups like Real Estate and the National. Kite Party finds themselves of a piece with these kindred spirits exploring the existential uncertainty of just what it means to become an adult in an increasingly disaffecting world. The answer, it seems, is just as ambiguous as the question being posed.