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Based in Redwood City, The Corner Laughers craft a brand of pop that\u2019s sophisticated, clever, erudite and memorable \u2013 one that follows in the proud tradition of great songwriting artists like Carole King and Paul McCartney. Across the group\u2019s several singles, EPs and albums, a love of wordplay combines with subject matter beyond the simple love songs of conventional pop to create something truly special.<\/p>\n
Karla Kane is the group\u2019s center of gravity. Composer of all but one of the songs on Temescal Telegraph<\/i>, Kane is also lead vocalist. And her ukulele is prominently featured throughout the record. Khoi Huynh \u2013 Kane\u2019s husband \u2013 is nominally the Corner Laughers\u2019 bassist, but he plays multiple instruments, as does (nominal) guitarist KC Bowman. Charlie Crabtree is the drummer, and the four have formed the core of the group since its inception nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n
The first characteristic one notices listening to Temescal Telegraph<\/i> is the group\u2019s breezily melodic bent. Beyond that are finely-wrought arrangements. But dig deeper still and discover lyrics that sometimes border on poetry (\u201cOur feet \/ upon the leaves \/ that have fallen overnight while we were sleeping\u201d). And even on bouncy tunes like \u201cChangeling,\u201d there\u2019s more going on than initially meets the ear.<\/p>\n
Huynh\u2019s bass lines, in particular, do more than simply hold down the bottom; often as not, they provide a melodic counterpoint to Kane\u2019s lead vocal line or Bowman\u2019s lead guitar licks. The years the four musicians have spent together recording, rehearsing and (occasionally) playing live yield a natural musical camaraderie that \u2013 as is the case in the best bands of any sort \u2013 suggests an unspoken, subliminal level of communication.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s timeless pop values that are The Corner Laughers\u2019 stock in trade. The ear-candy tunes occasionally display flashes of influence from other genres; Bowman\u2019s solo on \u201cThe Accepted Time\u201d has a distinct country flavor. \u201cThe Lilac Line\u201d (premiered below) rocks harder \u2013 and faster \u2013 as it barrels toward its conclusion. \u201cLoma Alta\u201d features a deeply layered, ambitious arrangement, and \u201cSisters of the Pollen\u201d recalls The Bangles at their catchiest. But whatever musical textures the group employs on a given song, every ingredient is in service of crafting first-rate music.<\/p>\n
The group has a long tradition of enlisting the help of kindred souls to achieve its musical goals; in the past the Corner Laughers have collaborated with the prolific and idiosyncratic Sacramento\/Berlin-based Anton Barbeau as well as underground DIY legend Martin Newell. That approach continues on the group\u2019s latest: guest artists on Temescal Telegraph<\/i> include Bradley Skaught (of harder-rocking but otherwise like-minded pop group The Bye Bye Blackbirds) and Big Stir Records co-head Rex Broome.<\/p>\n
Any recording from The Corner Laughers\u2019 catalog is deserving of a spin. But with Temescal Telegraph<\/i> \u2013 available June 5 from Big Stir Records \u2013 the group presents its most fully-realized set of pop songs to date.<\/p>\n