Kidofdoom are an incredibly strange band. But it is their oddness that makes them endearing and their music addictive.
That they managed to sell their jazzy space rock to the indie disco-kid masses makes them an anomaly of the South African rock scene that can’t be ignored: a rock drummer who is an avid electro enthusiast, a jazz student on keyboard and guitar, an unassuming bassist who is the centrepiece of the band when he plays live and a prog-obsessed guitarist who inherited the grand ideas of the concept album from the likes of Genesis and Pink Floyd.
On paper you’d expect it to be a stretch too far, yet one listen to kidofdoom’s second album, My Faith in War (Independent), and you will see how they pull it off with style.
Having sprung up from the streets of Pretoria in 2006, kidofdoom initially garnered a loyal following by playing live at parties organised by disco-punk scenesters in Pretoria and Jo’burg.
Although the band share influences with the scene that spawned them, it was clear from early on that there was more to kidofdoom.
Pink Floyd was an obvious touchstone, but the band’s love of progressive rock went well beyond its most famous exponent.
Although their self-titled debut album hinted at their potential, many felt that it was too clean and failed to capture the band’s live sound.
No such criticism can be laid upon My Faith in War.
It is majestic in its sweep, drifting from subtle prog-rock pieces (Land of the Blind) to thumping space-rock crescendos (Sweet Brother), with hints of jazz and electro thrown into the mix.
Fans will recognise Sociallight and Gotham City, which the band unleashed at the end of last year as a Christmas gift to their fans.
Although these two tracks are among the best on the album, hearing them within the context of the greater album brings them to life in a whole new way.
And I suppose that’s the point. This album is not just a collection of songs for indie kids to cut loose to on the dance floor, it’s a mature, finely crafted album that requires your full attention.
So get a copy, get in your car, wind down the windows and hit the open road. You may never come back.
Ground control to Major Tom.
My Faith in War is available in all good record stores.