"The title of this new five-song EP from Nashville indie-pop newcomer Kindercastle is found in the lyrics of leadoff track “Running the Gauntlet,” in which Cody Uhler sings of “drawing lines, connecting dot to dot to dot.”
It’s a fitting analogy for the duo’s impulsive, ’70s-inspired pop sound, which can veer in unlikely directions but would never be mistaken for aimless scribbling. A lush and romantic amalgam of yacht-rock, disco, prog, cabaret, even a touch of Muzak, Dot’s tracks present pop’s least-cool corners with confidence and straight-faced sincerity.
One unmistakable influence on Dot is Electric Light Orchestra, whose stacked string and brass arrangements are in full bloom on such tracks as the “Mr. Blue Sky”-esque “Beddie-Bye.” But equally impressive are the unnatural elements of the group, largely helmed by keyboardist Ross Wariner, who’s got quite the arsenal of synth sonics. (His solo on “The Key” sounds like a choir of Star Wars droids.)
Musically, there’s little going here that couldn’t have been heard on a 30-year-old LP, but what’s unmistakably modern about Kindercastle is its scatterbrained spirit. There’s no shortage of young local groups that are bursting with ideas and enthusiasm, but matching it with this level of musicality and pop reverence is something much more rare, and well worth a listen."-Dave Paulson, Metromix
"I was driving a car full of friends down to Atlanta when we first slid Kindercastle's new EP Dot To Dot To Dot into the CD player for review. After just one listen, it immediately blew us all out of the water. I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t in the most analytical mindset at the time, but after consecutive listening I am prepared to stand behind two bona-fide thumbs way up for this album.
It has been said that Kindercastle is reminiscent of ELO, and in some ways they are. The first track “Running the Gauntlet” starts with a naked and pleasant vocal melody. In just a few bars and in true ELO fashion, an expansive string section slides underneath as the real song begins. Then it all suddenly starts to make sense. The bass and drums drop and lock together as the whole orchestra (so it would seem) descends. Sparkles of bells, synths and trumpets poke through while lead singer Cody Uhler weaves a melody that shifts effortlessly in and out of falsetto. Glittery glitches fill in the gaps between transitions keeping you on your toes in anticipation. All this in just two minutes and twenty seven seconds.
The next track that deserves a bit of applause is “New Way of Life”. The song starts off with a serene and almost brooding backdrop but takes a quick turn, as the harmony morphs into a modern day “Good Night” from The Beatles White Album. Beirut-esque trumpets support the vocals and congregate to lift the song to an entirely new level. The rest of the album follows suit, delivering one great track after another. Kindercastle has created another triumph with their unique style and expertly crafted pop songs. Definitely give this one a listen, and be proud to call it Nashville music." –Fletcher Watson, The Deli
"imagine if you forced Jeff Lynne of ELO and Jason Lytle of Grandaddy to make a lush, string-laden, 70's pop album together,... at gunpoint. It may be an uneasy partnership at first, but once they start digging into the music something magical happens. It becomes fun. It gets funky. They laugh alot. The music grows full of life. That is exactly the kind of enthusiastic sound Kindercastle has conjured up on their new release "In a Tizzy," simultaneously daring and retro." Chris R at Cdbaby
For the past six months, local ’70s-pop fetishists Kindercastle have—in true Nashville fashion—been barnstorming the local club scene with their infusion of smooth Studio 54-ready production, blue-eyed soul and hooks that would make Jeff Lynne proud. Led by fresh-faced duo Ross Wariner and Cody Uhier, their ambitious employment of strings, layered vocal harmonies and whimsically cabaret instrumentation make for dense arrangements. These, while hyper-musical—at times to a fault, but not enough so to detract from their good grooves and melodies—capitalize on a pop savvy far beyond Kinderc arrangements astle’s years that has already demonstrated the potential to entertain both mindless pop hedonists and heady musicologists alike. - Adam Gold, the Nashville Scene
caught your set the other night. sounds so good. I was in the front with the lusty eyes. but seriously PLEASE play more nosforatu tracks. I still listen to that album. - MW
Wow!!! Friday night's Out of the Blue show was so much fun. I've been a fan of ELO for 30+ years year and OOTB was the first album I bought from them. The "Jungle" dance was great. The whole thing was great. It was well worth driving 5 hours to see you guys. Thanks so much for the show!!
I found your music through my sister, who was brought to one of your recent shows by a friend. She brought both CDs home, and now our whole family is in love with them! I've been playing In A Tizzy non-stop for days now. I don't pay a lot of attention to local music, so it feels a bit amazing to have a music I love being made right where I live (my family lives in Franklin, I'm in Chattanooga). Speaking of which, when and where will your next shows be? I would love to see this live, and I'm planning to spread your albums around to my much more music-savvy friends. Finally, I'm the one getting them onto a fantastic new band!
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