K.
New Problems
(Tiger Style)

Likely in an attempt to be simple rather than enigmatic, K. is the working name of one Karla Schickele, who has previously lent her talented hands and voice to Ida and Beekeeper. But K. is not a solo project. And New Problems, while written and arranged by Schickele, is anything but a girl and her guitar.

Bringing on a cast of indie stars (Tara Jane O’Neil – Retsin, Rodan; Cynthia Nelson – Retsin, Ruby Falls; Rose Thomson – Babe the Blue Ox) as well as her Ida bandmates, K. has crafted a collection of emotionally naked, smartly skewed songs which are comfortable with folk, pop, emo and ambience. The opening track draws you in with flitting piano and just a taste of cello and a spot of clarinet, along with Schickele’s voice – which seems to come from the cutely weird girl in the corner chopping up Ritalin.

"Reminder" shows strength with its splashy, delicately thunderous march which goes to that mysterious spot between the heart and the gut. Other tracks are open and sparse, displaying an impressive sense of arty patience. Close to the album’s end, there’s a delightfully innocent, almost childlike cover of the Mama and the Papa’s "Got a Feelin’," which is pure sonic candy. Unfortunately, the lo-to-mid-fi aesthetic employed on the bulk of New Problems is a problem in itself as it has a tendency to distance and cloud Schickele’s reedy ruminations, or maybe it's just a way to beg for more dedicated listening. –Scott D. Lewis

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