Music > Album Reviews

Cave Painting // Votive Life

17/04/13

Cave Painting are an alternative rock band from Brighton, whose album 'Votive Life' presents their original style perfectly. Their debut single which features on the album, entitled; 'So Calm' was released in 2011, long before the entire album. This key track shows a good idea of what is to come, as you can instantly hear the group’s softer, more flowing take on traditional rock music.

Something which, for me, deserves a special mention is the two interlude tracks ('Gator' and 'Me You Soon”), which not only break up an album of fairly long songs, but also help the song transition, by (somehow!?) both making it smoother AND defining the songs either side… You’ll understand it when you hear it… Promise.

Lead vocalist Adam Kane is also something quite unique. He has one of those voices that you feel sure you know, but not because you’ve heard something like it before. The instant familiarity and almost ethereal tones make the lyrics fold in beautifully with the other layers to the tracks. My only criticism would be that, as beautiful as the vocals sound, in some songs the slurring becomes a bit much; it feels a tiny bit like a drunk person ruining a beautiful poem because you can’t quite understand it… But overall I think there will be more to come from Cave Painting in the future,  as a debut , Votive Life is strong, with some truly engaging tracks, but I think their unique style will continue to develop and only for the better. 

Beatrice Howard 6/10

Cave Painting are an alternative rock band from Brighton, whose album 'Votive Life' presents their original style perfectly. Their debut single which features on the album, entitled; 'So Calm' was released in 2011, long before the entire album. This key track shows a good idea of what is to come, as you can instantly hear the group’s softer, more flowing take on traditional rock music.

Something which, for me, deserves a special mention is the two interlude tracks ('Gator' and 'Me You Soon”), which not only break up an album of fairly long songs, but also help the song transition, by (somehow!?) both making it smoother AND defining the songs either side… You’ll understand it when you hear it… Promise.

Lead vocalist Adam Kane is also something quite unique. He has one of those voices that you feel sure you know, but not because you’ve heard something like it before. The instant familiarity and almost ethereal tones make the lyrics fold in beautifully with the other layers to the tracks. My only criticism would be that, as beautiful as the vocals sound, in some songs the slurring becomes a bit much; it feels a tiny bit like a drunk person ruining a beautiful poem because you can’t quite understand it… But overall I think there will be more to come from Cave Painting in the future,  as a debut , Votive Life is strong, with some truly engaging tracks, but I think their unique style will continue to develop and only for the better. 

Beatrice Howard 6/10