Karamelien – Living With The Moon

“Living With The Moon” is an upcoming debut full-length album by Karamelien, the UK duo formed by two long-time friends, singer-songwriter Léanie Kaleido and guitarist Mark Foster. Their debut also features a couple of experienced bass players, such as Lee Pomeroy (ELO, Take That, Rick Wakeman, Yes) and Morris ‘Mo’ Pleasure (Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Ray Charles).

Soundwise, Karamelien explores several complementary music genres to create rich and luxurious sonic imagery. Perhaps indie pop comes to mind first, as the duo invested many vital elements of this genre in their songs, but you’ll also notice some other sonic ingredients borrowed from indie rock, indie folk, alternative, dream pop, etc. These experimentations with various styles resulted in nine compositions that shine with many sonic delicacies and surprises.

The album commences with the title track. “Living With The Moon” resonates with some of the finest indie and alternative elements, and the duo incorporated magnificent instrumentations from scratch to finish. Léanie Kaleido’s outstanding vocal performance immediately grabs your attention with an impressive vocal range that skillfully emphasizes Mark Foster’s leads, melodies, and chord progressions. It’s a perfect introductory piece into an excellent material.

Karamelien slows down with “Ascension Heights,” a downtempo, soulful, funky indie pop song empowered with delicate back vocals and string instruments. They continue in a similar style with “Digital Imogen,” but this number goes even more in-depth with flawlessly implemented sequenced synths and vividly hearable, intricate, warm-sounding basslines. The rhythmic sequences also shine with well-accentuated, moderate beats, fills, and other percussive acrobatics that define groove and pace. 

“Lionhearts” leans much more towards the indie and dream pop universe with its reverby, psychedelic, arpeggiated chord progressions, ambiances, articulations, and downtempo electronic beats. It’s a meaningful, soulful, delicate composition where Léanie Kaleido once again steals the show. “Wait For Me” begins with a beautiful piano overture that serves as a perfect backdrop for Kaleido’s exceptional vocal harmonies. Karamelien remain in the same tempo, while the song gradually becomes more complex, with even more instrumentations introduced with every following sequence.

“Ghost Of Love” is another psychedelic pop-inspired composition where ear-appealing keys, vibrato-decorated chord progressions, subtle basslines, and stripped-down beats resonate with so much style, paving the way for another Kaleido’s outstanding vocal performance. “Do You Really Wanna Go?” harkens a bit of seventies ambiance with soulful, funky, rhythm ‘n’ blues samples and basslines, while the detailed drumming performance directs the steady but hypnotic pace. This song has an interesting progressive rock moment that somehow flawlessly works with its unique ambiance.

“Sewing At Sea” evokes some seventies, eighties, and nineties classic pop and alt-pop moments with Foster’s magnificent acoustic and electric guitar maneuvers. He assembled these chord progressions and riffs with so much precision and finesse. You’ll also notice how powerful, warm, elegantly implemented low-end notes support guitars from scratch to finish while the moderate beats direct the pace. “Living With The Moon” closes with “Sewing At Sea (Reprise),” a perfect instrumental overture decorated with a catchy guitar theme, empowered with hypnotic choirs. It’s more than a suitable closure of a magnificent debut full-length album.

Léanie Kaleido and guitarist Mark Foster thought about everything while assembling this material. You’ll notice how every composition shines with impressive vocal, instrumental, and rhythmic maneuvers, rarely heard on the contemporary indie pop scene. “Living With The Moon” positions Karamelien on the top of the indie scene thanks to their brilliant ideas and outstanding musicianship, and it’s one of those albums you should check out as soon as possible. “Living With The Moon” drops on their Bandcamp page on October 27th. Don’t miss it!