I missed this band! The Corner Laughers make music with all the charms of the best alt-pop. Smartly arranged, and sung with sweetness by Karla Kane, this band's tunes have a throwback appeal, plus a sharp, almost classic song-craft behind them. Their new record, Concerns of Wasp and Willow is their first in a few years, and it's certainly one worth raving about a little.
The catchy "Terra Mia" opens the album, but it's the stately chamber rock of "Dusking" which brings a big smile to a listener. There's a Sixties-ish vibe here, with a hint of acts like The Left Banke in the composition, but Karla Kane's lovely voice keeps this closer in spirit to early 10,000 Maniacs or even The Sundays. It's a nice number and one of many here which has this quality where you feel like you've heard it before on first listen. Selections like the gorgeous "The Harvestman" bring to mind the best from Fairground Attraction and Eddi Reader from that band. That really is the easist point of comparison if you're new to The Corner Laughers, though this group is less folk and more chamber pop of that Sixties sort.
The strength of The Corner Laughers is that each of the members -- Karla Kane (lead vocals, ukulele, percussion), Khoi Huynh (piano, bass, guitars, backing vocals, percussion), KC Bowman (guitars, bass, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion), and Charlie Crabtree (drums, percussion) -- is bringing a real, old school sense of pop-creation to the material on Concerns of Wasp and Willow. The care that went into this music, and the fact that there's even a contemporary band willing to pursue these styles earns praise from this reviewer. That the songs are so damn catchy and winsome only sweetens the appeal of the sugary pop of The Corner Laughers.
[Photo: The Corner Laughers]