The Cairo Gang

A contrast to Emmett Kelly's last work, The Corner Man, his new EP under the guise of The Cairo Gang is for the most part a lighter, more spirited affair; not hurried, but definitely not as labored upon as some of Kelly's past works. The record was recorded over the course of a week and it has an excited breath of that pacing in the folds of its six tracks. There's a distinct thread of West Coast folk-rock of the 60's vintage on display here that's not often present in The Cairo Gang catalog. And its not just because 12-string guitars tend to leave a taste of Roger McGuinn's Byrds in your mouth, its a perfectly out of time sun-soaked quality that pairs well with Kelley's label mates Cool Ghouls. The breezy, bittersweet tracks are counterpointed by an amazingly sparse and admittedly bitter without the sweet cover of The Boys Next Door's "Shivers", also covered ably last year by Divine Fits. It’s a stomach-clenching tale of relationship addled depression that lands its punches just as hard if not harder under Kelly's orchestration. Some artists seem to find their niche and carve it out deeper and more defined over time, but it seems that Mr. Kelly isn't content to just play the harrowed troubadour etching his wounds in song. Here he's delivered another side to the Cairo coin and its good to hear him soak in the sun once in a while.

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