KIT - Broken Voyage [Upset the Rhythm - 2007]Kit is a noisy post-punk band from California. Broken Voyage is a spazz fest from beginning to end, which reminds me of a several other bands. The stepping off point is probably the Melt Banana because of the aggressive, overdriven music and the screamed, high pitched, distorted female vox. It's also kind of wacky, reminding me of an amped up Deerhoof. There are quirky changes in direction, mid-song, reminiscent of the latter. Kit do not share the Who-like drum fills, or the fairy tale lyrics of Deerhoof, so though indebted, they're not completely ripping off their sound. There are also songs which remind me a bit of the GO! Team, because their cheerleader chants are echoed on occasion throughout Broken Voyage. Unlike the Go! Team, Kit aren't relentlessly upbeat, which could be considered either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who you ask. In true punk fashion, Broken Voyage is being sold as Kit's full length debut, though it presents 11 songs in 22 minutes. It's a wise move to keep it short, because it's hard to imagine listening to music this spazzy and harsh for much longer. The real problem with this album is not the noise, intensity or brevity. It's that Kit does not sound like a band with any distinguishing identity. They bash away and make a lot of noise, but their music sounds too much like an amalgam of what's supposed to be cool within the indie-rock scene at the moment, rather than an original statement. The artifice and self consciousness is hard to miss. The songs have no teeth. All is not entirely lost though; there are a few sublime moments scattered about Broken Voyage. If they expend their abundant enthusiasm on doing their own thing, they may end up transcending their influences.    Erwin Michelfelder
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