The disembodied atmosphere evokes many moods, but since the lyric is hard to decipher, the potential emotional value is reduced. The Ideal Hunter seems to be a song cycle, with 11 pieces finely crafted to deliver a blend of alienation; and along the way we hear from a sensibility that is filmic rather than coming from reality. So the “songs†come off more as instrumentals, with chanteuse Kira Lynn responding to minor key tunes – not really reaching out on any level of intimacy as a singer until the track “Good†when the vocal delivery is placed front and center. Her voice is soothing, seductive and highly listenable. Cain delivers some fine and simple melody writing, and layers of texture to put meat on the bones, have been given both careful and disciplined attention.
Cain prefers the sounds of previous eras of pop culture – torch ballads made sixty years ago and says so on her Myspace page. She is part of a current set of younger San Franciscans who love theatrical music, and the clubbiness of their subculture reflects in the sidemen, who have eclectic roots aplenty.
The record hums with restrained energy, bass lines that slowly rumba through sharp-edged percussion and top out with vibraphonic effects, or acoustic guitar, cello, glockenspiel, a musical saw, Conn and Hammond organs, and an oil can on “The Loneâ€.
The album’s overall effect is one of a soundtrack without the movie. Another standout track “All the Mirrors of the World†cries out to become a theme song. Perhaps someone will make the picture that so deserves to accompany the skillful sonic imagery of The Ideal Hunter?
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