CD Reviews Articles
If you never thought a cello could be an instrument of intense music beyond the bounds of a string ensemble, you need to hear British Columbia's Corbin Keep. He attacks the cello like a rocker on folk-based romps such as "The Feast" and "Flavour of the Minute." He produces hauntingly beautiful sounds in "Common Thread" and a frenetic intensity in "Aliens." Add to his talents the passionate vocals, intelligent and often humorous lyrics and solid writing and you have a unique treat.
Mark E Waterbury, Music Morsels
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I think that Corbin Keep, hiding himself away on Bowen Island, just west of Vancouver (BC) is all too familiar with both Emerson, and Emerson's forest. His debut CD is nothing less than completely unique and engaging. As he is basically creating his own genre of music here, there really is nothing and no one to compare him with, and that's the beauty of what he has created.
Corbin's music and his perspective are very refreshing, and the musical moods that he creates, starting with his Cello, are amazing. Add to this Corbin's unique vocal stylings, which is a worthwhile acquired taste, and you have plenty to contemplate as you listen. You will be challenged both musically and lyrically. One moment, we are seduced into a beautiful world where we all could get along as in 'Common Thread' (with the lines 'we are woven of a common thread, indivisible but for our heads'), and the next we are contemplating the bizarreness of our existence through the words and lyrics of the very catchy 'Aliens'. And, just like with aliens, you're going to have to hear to believe.
I always knew I liked the cello, but now, as it is pushed to new heights, I like it even more. It's beautiful to hear what one man can do with one instrument. The songs are decorated with other instruments, but it is always the cello masterminding the songs. That, and Corbin's words, insights and humour, make each song an all around delight.
It's hard to not recommend this CD to just about anyone, but what it does best is offer a shining example of what fun it is to discover what it's like to do your own thing, with no apologies to anyone.
Keep it up Corbin, we could use some more of you down here.
Steve Allat, The Muse's Reviews
Comparison may be the critic's most frequently used tools. It is not available in the case of a truly novel record like this one. This is cerebral adult pop cello fronting electric bass and drums. Occasional guitar (also by Mr. Keep) and percussion lure the listener briefly into familiar territory, but by and large, this is new terrain. As a singer and songwriter, Keep is in an early Bowie / late Kinks mode, bouncing from humor to fantasy to serious monologues, both interior and extroverted.
Early on, the record makes one wonder why cello is so neglected in popular music and, of course, one gets the idea that this artist must have a unique mastery of his instrument in order to communicate with it as he does. It is quite versatile, with warm resonance and a range of tones that neither guitars nor guitar/amp/effects combinations could easily match. After listening to the record, it stays with you like that immensely hot, brief fling from long ago that your spouse doesn't know is often responsible for your pleasure five years into a marriage.
Press materials refer to Corbin Keep being described by some as the "Jimi Hendrix of the cello" and note that "Purple Haze" sometimes turns up in his live set list. Well, if Hendrix is your bag, then go for that line and buy this record. I will say, more broadly, that he appears to be able to do whatever he wants to do with his instrument, and that his imagination leads him to do things no one else would think of. I hope he has a chance to come south from Canada and appear live somewhere near Wilmington. He is the sort of artist who refreshes the imaginations of other artists.
Eight and a half songs (you have to hear it). Pure recording, designed to capture and share real sound.
On The Street (webzine)
The cello is beautiful. Most everyone agrees on that. It is often the instrument of choice in movie soundtracks to evoke beauty, serenity or sadness. But what is often overlooked is how, in the right hands, the cello can evoke joy, exuberance, even ecstasy. Corbin Keep has just such hands.
On his CD, "Call of the Wild Cello", Corbin (the self-proclaimed wild cellist) tears through nine original tunes, one instrumental and the rest with lyrics, playing acoustic cello, guitar and singing in his rich baritone. He is also accompanied by electric bass, drums and percussion, giving him the freedom to go soaring freely into the nether-regions of the cello's upper register. This is not to say that Corbin isn't capable of holding down a funky driving groove, because he can do it like nobody's business.
Lyrically, Corbin tackles environmental and social concerns ("Pulse of the Forest", "Common Thread") as well as just good fun about wild beasts and aliens. He offers a nice variety of sounds and textures and, happily, doesn't take himself too seriously. He knows how to have some fun. The song, "What's Up" has the refrain "what's up today is nothing's gonna bring me down" which seems to truly capture the mood of this optimistic, energetic disc. Every note is played with passion and conviction and you just know that Corbin cares about what he's doing. And Mr. Keep is indeed capable of chilling out. Some of the music on this disc is calm, moody and beautiful. After all, that's what cellos were made for right?
Gideon Freudmann, Cello City Ink, Magazine of the New Directions Cello Association