SAY SO

Bent Knee are from Boston so I've had the distinct pleasure of seeing them numerous times over the last two years. Having made a significant step forward from their debut to Shiny Eyed Babies there was a distinct worry that this third album may suffer from comparison to what was one of my favorite albums of 2014. Fortunately that is not the case. I heard most of the the material on Say So performed live before the release and while excellent live it has come on leaps and bounds when executed in the studio. This is again collection of wonky edgy pop with a heavy emphasis on Courtney Swain's vocals which have a dynamic range a strength that continue to surprise and most remind me of Moorea Dickason of MoeTar. The beauty of Bent Knee is that all the music is group compositions and give room to all the instruments without feeling forced. It would be easy to make the band a showcase for Courtney's vocals & Ben Levin's manic guitar work but the rhythm section of Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth (drums) & Jessica Kion (bass) are tight and dynamic adding twists and turns throughout. The violin of Chris Baum is a subtler contributor but vital to the overall sound. The production from Vince Welch gives a real depth and vigor to the sound while maintaining clarity. A great signing to the Cuneiform label and a strong candidate for album of the year.