Kaddisfly are like marmite; you’ll either love them or hate them. Personally I just don’t like them all that much. While there’s no hiding their talent, the way they manage to bridge a whole manner of different genres, taking in indie, punk, jazz and all kinds of other things along the way, leaves them as a jack of all trades and a master of none. And while there are times that ‘Set Sail The Prairie’ basks in its own beauty – and rightly so – more often than not I was left bored.
Coheed and Cambria and Incubus fans will enjoy this record, so says the press release, and I wouldn’t disagree too much as Kaddisfly do find themselves sitting amongst an artsy pair of acts like those two. But for me the band don’t have enough about them to grab my interest and hold it. ‘Campfire’ and ‘Empire’ are two good songs, but as the album is split into four sections to try and separate the four seasons – and four moods – of this disc, it just feels like another concept record without the real need of a concept. And like a bear in winter, parts of this left me wanting to hibernate too. Don’t get me wrong, talented band, just probably not my thing.