Caravan of Thieves: Kiss Kiss

Caravan of Thieves are at it again with another swinging gypsy folk album, twisting and turning traditional themes of love into eldritch vaudeville-style romps in Kiss Kiss. For the most part, it’s yet another firm addition to the band’s portfolio, offering a quick, fun bout through the eclectic sounds of an era gone by, accentuated by modern touches like lyrics mostly emphasized by creep characters and a gleeful overall delivery to help in its accompaniment.

The only thing truly bogging down Kiss Kiss, the band’s fourth studio album, is the same issue that has continuously bogged down their in-studio act from the beginning, and that is iffy production value. While a step above past efforts in terms of instrumental clarity, everything is basically mixed to nearly the same level as each other, making for a vocal production that, at times, is hard to discern from in between lush instrumentation. With that said, the good outweighs the bad on the record, with the Thieves proving that they have the writing chops to deliver an album that will have their listeners dancing in the rain. One more step in the right direction, production-wise, and the band will be golden. As it stands currently, their live act is worth seeing.