By Paul Acquaro
Cagematch is a sax, guitar and drum out of the Washington, DC area. On soprano and alto sax is Kate Olson, a member of recent blog favorite Syrinx Effect. Joining Olson here is guitarist Gary Prince and drummer Tim Cohen. The sum of their efforts is captivating mix of hypnotic melody and atmosphere that unfolds expertly over the course of ‘Missing the End All‘.
The album begins with the sounds of space and a gentle melody refracted between the sax and guitar that feels suspended and hardly touching, yet still very connected. ‘Childhood’s Proof of Being Wanted’ builds momentum through the layering of the soprano sax over sparse accompaniment and minimal percussion. The following ‘Fear of Missing Out’ takes a different turn – jaunty and melodically rich, the sax and guitar play of each other over a propulsive driving rock groove. Prince doesn’t hold back – dipping into power chords and feedback. The yearning melody of ‘Snow Leopard’ is gripping over the clanking of Cohen’s percussion. The arpeggiated follow up from Prince’s guitar segues perfectly and as his sax and drum reconnect, the listener is deposited on the other side of a musical experience.
Missing the End All is a diverse album – from sweet moments to textural soundscapes and flat out rocking moments, there is a lot to take in. Sometimes the sweet moments may be a little too sweet, but the more bitter ones balance it all out.
Give a listen here:
<a href=”http://end-all.bandcamp.com/album/missing-the-end-all”>Missing The End All by cagematch</a>
