Music, probably more than any other art form, has the uncanny ability to both establish and change moods. No matter the location or the event, whether it’s someone’s headspace, a bedroom, a dorm common room, a family living room, a wedding, a funeral, or a party, the music being played can either reinforce the prevailing spirit of the occasion or cause a shift that can either lift or destroy the current atmosphere. Granted, while there is music out there that’s unable to foster any sort of real emotional response from the listener, that’s not what’s being discussed here. True mood-setting and mood-defining music is a misunderstood and under-appreciated entity in the music world - it should be gripping, strong, self-aware, and heartfelt without indulging in either over-the-top or ironic excess.
With that being said, The Great Compromise by Orlando, FL residents Kingsbury can join the pantheon of albums that provide time and space for songs that first kick the listener in the gut and then sit down on the ground beside them to help them figure out what the hell just happened. Led by the weary baritone whispers of Bruce Reed, Kingsbury has crafted a record that somehow encourages dark introspection while discouraging the puerile moping that’s too often present in contemporary rock and folk music. There’s nothing pedantic about these jarring tunes; instead, the listener is privileged to ingest and absorb song after song of intricate minor key progressions performed by rather talented artisans. As best evinced on tracks like “Corpse,” “Buried Beneath the Trees,” and “All This Dead Space,” it’s the musicianship that truly sets the mood on this record.
-- Adam P. Newton
