Kaprekar's Constant?

[JKL2000]

Anyone here a fan of UK band Kaprekar's Constant? I'm very intrigued by descriptions of the band and am going to check them out tonight.

I see that Stephen Lambe posted in What's On, What's New several times as their last album was coming out. Here's the description he posted:

The core of the band are songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Al Nicholson and Nick Jefferson, who have written together for many years but formed this project 18 months ago. However, playing a major part on the album are legendary Van Der Graaf Generator sax and flute maestro David Jackson, here united with his daughter Dorie Jackson (Francis Dunnery) who provides the stunning vocals on this track. Drums come from former Level 42 man Phil Gould.

Musically, the band's melodic sensibilities, epic arrangements and love of historical subject matter place them squarely in the same area of Prog as Big Big Train and Genesis, indeed fans of the former band should find much to love here, while David Jackson's inspirational sax and the mix of male and female vocals offer mean that there are enough differences to set this remarkable band apart.


They must have something going on, because a) David Jackson is in the band (and his daughter, Dorie, is one of the vocalists), and b) all their physical media is sold out on Bandcamp. So, any fans?

[moecurlythanu]

I have 2 CDs and a DVD(r), so I guess I'd count as a fan.

[Digital_Man]

I've heard of them but other than maybe a track here or there on online prog radio I'm not familiar. I see they have a new album coming out next month though.

[flowerking]

I like Depth of Field quite a bit, its a very enjoyable listen.

[flatliner]

I like them so much, I even got the Christmas EP from a couple of years ago. Big fan!

[moecurlythanu]

This new album is wonderful. On my next Bandcamp Friday list.

[Jimmy Giant]

Thanks for the heads up on their new release. Didn't know about it. I like these guys, I just ordered it. I have the previous CDs.

[miamiscot]

[moecurlythanu]

I can't stop listening to the latest album. It's not really new at this point, but for me it pushes so many buttons. My wheelhouse is Prog-Rock and English Folk, and this stagedives into the middle of both. The latest CD, The Murder Wall arrived from the UK today, but I've been listening to the download which I burned to CDR upon purchase for weeks now. I'm completely blown away. Lyrically, this is the best album I've heard in ages. Some of it's literal, some poetic and expressive, but all of it gut wrenching or exuberant, depending on the nature of the track. It's not a Concept Album in the sense that it follows a story from a point to an end, but it is thematic. If some of these songs don't bring tears to your eyes, check your pulse. It's not as intricate or complex as I would normally go for, but the craftmanship is on that kind of level, in fact, above it. Musical craftmanship at the very highest level. No apologies or backtracking here.

I was unaware of the album's subject matter, but due to my appreciation of the music herein, I did a bit of a dive...65 people have lost their life on the Murder Wall since 1936. Sixty-fucking-five. Recently, a Swiss man known as the "Swiss Machine" scaled the North Face (The Murder Wall) in 2 hours 22 minutes. Excuse me? That's 6000+ ft of murderous and sometimes shear terrain. How the fuck is that done? He says it will be done in less than 2 hours sometime soon. Relatively recently, a Columbia University hottie named Sasha DiGiulian, who is a world champion Rock/Mountain climber (no idea how they measure that,) arrived on site with an announced ambition to conquer the Eiger. She was told that the Eiger is "no place for little girls." What she needed to hear, I guess, because the fire was stoked. You can find Facetime or whatever videos with her and Good Morning America and others halfway up and gripped with fear. But you know what? Long story short, she conquered fear and The Murder Wall. A truly remarkable human.

Back to the album. I'll be stunned if this album isn't at my top for 2022. The ones following behind are likely to be Avant or at least intricate. This isn't the kind of album that will jump out to those fans, and maybe not even most Prog-Rock fans. You'll be tempted to call parts of it "twee." Pffft! There's a depth here that is rewarded by multiple listens. Beauty, menace, forlorn resignation. It's all here. I can't honestly recall when I heard an album that touched so deeply on both mental and emotional levels. If you listen on a superficial level, you are cheating yourself. This is a masterpiece, and it will take you to places you haven't been before, if you let it.

[lazland]

It is an absolutely fantastic album and I love it and the exceptional stories behind it, as wonderfully described by moecurlythanyou above. As part of a continued shameless campaign on my part, please do feel free to take a peak at my review at https://lazland.org/album-reviews-20...he-murder-wall

Definitely one of the highlights of 2022 thus far.

[markowitz]

Great thread, I have not heard about them or this constant. Much appreciated.