Kaito – Montigola Underground
(Devil In The Woods)

Distorted guitars, distorted effects, and distorted femme pop vocals make up the Montigola Underground ep, the second release from Kaito.

These two guys and two girls from the UK offer up seven pop songs that bop and bleep and make you want to love again. One can easily compare Kaito to many female lead rock acts such as Blond Redhead, Cub, Toenut and so on, but this would be too easy. These songs not only pop, but hiss, fuzz and crunch their way from track 1 to 7. Nikki Colk’s beautiful vocals are often hidden under a thick layer of rich distortion, which to some may seem annoying. But this is what makes the record work, Kaito’s willingness to experiment with sounds and distortion to make an otherwise average pop album a bit more interesting.

Stand out tracks on the disc include the sing-a-long “bow wow”, which is bouncy enough to make even the fattest man float whimsically through space. “Shoot Shoot” offers a phaser-like sweep that repeats behind a simple yet catchy guitar line, until finally reaching a Breeder’s-esque chorus and a quirky breakdown. If soothing crawling femme vocals are your thing then check out “Trailous” for a off-time build up to a loud, banging pay off full of a screaming all girl choir.

If noisy pop and female vocals are your thing, then Kaito will find itself at home in your stereo. This is a band that can speak on my behalf in court any day. — Jay