To Krel A Mockingboyne Review

Self-proclaimed ‘sad indie rock’ band The Krelboynes recently came out with their LP, To Krel A Mockingboyne which I am here to review for you all today! However, before I get to reviewing the tracks on this album, I just want to say how much I appreciate the puns in this album including in its title "To Krel A Mockingboyne" - there's nothing to make things more fun than puns! Alright y’all, let’s get into the review!

The album starts with “Homeward Bound” which is a beautiful, base-heavy track about wanting to go home. It definitely fits the self-proclaimed ‘sad indie rock’ genre but it’s also very very pretty. I wouldn’t normally consider myself a big sad music fan but I can definitely vibe to this one.

“Krelamazoo” comes next which is another pun that put a smile on my face. I love the nearly three minute instrumental intro of this song which once again is very pretty. This song focuses more on the idea of not feeling alone when you’re home which is so nice with it also being about Kalamazoo. There’s such a great sense of community especially in the Kalamazoo music scene and this song is a great reminder of that.

“Toilet Plus Paper” is for sure one of my favorite songs on this album which feels very soothing to me. I think the repetitive base line drives that feeling and gives the space for the guitar to have some fun. This is a song I can’t wait to hear at a house show just for the good vibes. I’m also usually not a huge fan of just instrumental songs but “Toilet Plus Paper” really won me over!

“Roy” comes next which takes a bit of a darker tone then we see earlier on in the album. This darker feel is driven both by the lyrics and the music, the lyrics focusing on the unknown which can make even the best of us feel a bit hopeless. The song does end on a higher note musically speaking which leaves the listener feeling a little more optimistic.

“Dirge” is the next track on the album which doesn’t get too much more upbeat. This song is a little more lyric heavy than we’ve seen on most of the other tracks which is a nice change of pace. We do see some more repetition in the feel of this song which I think really adds to the soothing nature of both this song and album. Most of the songs don’t follow the ‘traditional’ form of a song which allows for both a lot more creativity and repetition like we see here.

Next up is “The Abyss” which ironically feels a bit more upbeat to me than the last two songs on the album. This song again focuses on the idea of the unknown, specifically pertaining to the unknown in one’s own life while also having someone you love in your life. I think everyone knows the pressure to have your shit together when you have someone you love, but I think this song makes light of that situation and leaves listeners feeling a little more hopeful.

“Caboose” is our penultimate song which is another gorgeous instrumental. I really enjoy the back and forth between the more mellow sections and sections that go a bit harder. This feels like another great house show song to me as the vibes are just really nice.

Last up we have “Journey into the Vortex” which is probably the slowest and most laid-back song of the album. To end this album, The Krelboynes take us into the vortex which is a very fitting end. The whole album has been beautiful but somber and it only feels right to leave us on a darker note with this last song.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a big fan of upbeat music but in spite of that I really loved To Krel A Mockingboyne. As we head more into Winter where the days will continue to be short, I’ll definitely be keeping this album in my rotation as something beautiful but very mellow to listen to. If you want to hear some of this awesome album live, don’t forget to tune in at 7 PM this Monday (11/15) to hear The Krelboynes live on-air for the return of The Basement Show!