Michigan music
Like fellow Michigan musician Chris Bathgate's "A Cork Tale Wake", Chain of Lakes's debut album pairs perfectly layered instrumentation with gritty poignant lyrics. From the rich guitar rifts which open "Bourbon Lullaby" to the chorus of brass in "Metrosong" (a tribute to Detroit)--Kyle's songs tell the story of his home state. The song-writing is stunning ("Love is a pin, pulled out and dropped, while we chase stray grenades we pray never go off"-Love is an Arsenal) but like the work of indie-folk musicians Iron & Wine and the Decemberists, Chain of Lakes's album is more than the sum of its melodies. The tracks stack up to create a mood and a story, layering into something more beautiful and complicated than just a set of songs.
