In The Guestroom
In The Guestroom by Lee Casement to me can be summed up in two words Vocally Provoking
If you are in the mood for a nice soft rock/ easy listening but not too light I would highly recommend In The Guestroom. Pulling in many different talents which Kingston has to offer Lee really blends in probably one of the best “duet” albums which I have heard in a while. The constant mix of different artists on the album really gives the album a different feel and sound that keeps the atmospheric aspect of the album flowing into each other. Through my first listen through the album and following along with the credits on the back of the album cover, Lee really kept a little surprise in what was in store vocally in each song. At first I was really looking forward in getting to “Dead Doves” with Chris Koster mostly because I had no idea what the song was going to offer.
“Dead Doves” was one of my instant favourites on the album. I really enjoyed Chris Kosters vocals in this track as they went along excellent with the backing tracks. The keys in the song really helped break up a couple of the verses in the song. It was also nice to hear the keys in the background as well as they can sometimes disappear within the guitars and drums. Nearing the end song within the keys I could hear a hint of Lee’s other band Telefoto inside of the Keys, which I did notice a few other times throughout the album. For a lead off single my choice would be “Dead Doves”.
“Joy” opens up with a Telefoto sounding intro via the echoing drums and easy going riff. Meticulous is the first word which came to mind when I first listened to the vocals between Lee and Doug van Der Horden. The combination of the vocals comes together at just the right moments throughout the song, and they do not overshadow each other yet they both compliment each other throughout. Neither Lee nor Doug tends to take the lead for very long which only helps the song as it progresses. As a second single this would be my choice, even though I did have a difficult time deciding at first which I enjoyed more. To finish off the album there is an alternate version of this song as well.