Review of Gavin Castleton's Home

Gavin Castleton can easily be considered a prolific musician. He has has worked with bands like Gruvis Malt and Ebu Gogo, while also managing to release four full-lengths and three Eps under his own name since 2004. Home, has his latest full-length.

The story behind Home may read like a recipe for disaster: it chronicles Castleton's break up from a 6-year relationship and presents the whole thing in the motif of a zombie film. To make matters even stranger is the fact that Castleton is an eclectic artist who often shifts musical tone. Yeah, I know, it all sounds scary and disjointed, but dude is pretty good songwriter and Home packs plenty of pleasant surprises that work despite being part of the traditional break-up album turned zombie story.

"Coffeelocks" is pure '50s rock and will have you picturing poodle skirts and soda fountains as soon as you hear the guitar. Castleton may come off a bit too Jason Mraz at first on this track, but soon he morphs into an Elvis Costello swagger that suits him much better. The song comes complete with vibraphone and piano, making it a multi-instrumental pop rocker that seems to pit Sufjan Stephens against Fountains of Wayne.

"Sugar on the Sheets" is a much different beast. It's a shuffling, creepy movement where guitar notes randomly blip into. The song is more fractured than the pop of "Coffelocks," but the uncomfortable nature of the track seems to get Castleton's point across.

If you are a found of Why?, then you will probably dig "Unparallel Rabbits." The song uses an indie rock base to provide Castleton room to rap. Yes, rap. Some of it does go a bit over the top into the sort of embarrassing emo-rap genre, but parts of it work surprisingly well as his voice picks up volume and force.

"The Human Torch" brings things back to the laid back guitar-led pop, only now Castleton sounds defeated in his vocal approach. The song glides along on a Caribbean rhythm and a laid back vibe that fits Castleton well. The instrumental passage midway through is also a poppy surprise.

Castleton succeeds because of his diversity. If he were to stick with one of these sounds alone boredom would most certainly set in, but through his use of different styles, instruments, and even female vocals to counter his own, he has crafted a diverse and interesting album.