Family Cactus: Come Howling
The first thing I noticed about Family Cactus when I saw them open up at Camp a Low Hum earlier this year were their lifting multi-part vocal harmonies. They played at 11am, and I think it’s pretty safe to say that almost everyone in attendance was suffering from some combination of sleep deprivation, hangover or comedown. The band seemed understandably woozy as well, but on the whole managed to acquit themselves pretty decently under the circumstances. I’ve seen the Family Cactus a few times since, and while I wouldn’t describe them as the most energetic live band going, their collective vocal efforts and strong melodic sensibilities generally tend to ensure that their shows are an enjoyable experience.
Unfortunately, their debut album, Come Howling, seems to reveal more about Family Cactus’ flaws than it plays to their strengths. Take the mighty harmonised hook on lead single ‘Kingmaker’. Live, it verges on being Arcade Fire anthemic, but on record the band’s combined vocals sound shorn of their power and energy. The instrumentation doesn’t fare much better. Sure, the snare and tom rolls punch their way through the mix to acceptable effect, but the guitars lack both warmth and fuzz, while the additional keyboard plinks are rarely audible enough to make much of a meritable impact. There’s no denying frontman Adam Ladley’s pop sensibilities though. Pretty much all of the tracks have a sharp hook or a well deployed build-up. ‘In-Transit’ is probably the highlight, with a despairing chorus backed by an irresistible keyboard lick and some smart moments of guitar interplay. Still, I think a group with seven members and such a solid live pedigree should sound, well, bigger. Perhaps the Family Cactus’ most fundamental problem is in fact Ladley himself. For all his meticulous song craft, his actual voice lacks the personality of a Win Butler, or the adventurous energy of a Kevin Drew. Too often he ventures into boring Chris Martin territory, when a bit of attitude and risk taking might serve him better. Furthermore, lead vocal duties could perhaps have been shared around a little bit more democratically. From what I can make out, Nina Siegler has a pretty decent voice, but she never really gets enough of the limelight to attempt a Leslie Feist-style lead ala ‘Almost Crimes’. One of the reasons I enjoy Broken Social Scene so much is the reckless sense of abandon that you often hear in the vocal performances, and in comparison Ladley just sounds stuck in middle gear.
The snarling guitars on ‘Barbed Tongue’ attempt to redress this issue somewhat, but unfortunately Ladley opts for the largely superficial option of singing through a distorted mic, when an energised vocal performance and a few swigs of Laphroaig might have suited the track better. It’s a shame really, because as a collective the Family Cactus have some undeniable talent. After all, a glimpse at their CVs makes for impressive reading: The Accelerants, The Brunettes, The Nudie Suits, Grand Prix, The Cosbys and The Bonnie Scarlets. Moments like the bouncing guitar intro of ‘Mariachi Stomper’ and the raucous deconstructed midsection of ‘No Magic’ promise much, but under Ladley’s lead, the Family Cactus never quite manage to push them far enough to create anything that sounds truly magical.
Mainstream: 3
Indie: 6.2
Kim: Disposable
Family Cactus
Come Howling
(Sony)
