Evidence

Album Review

Karmacoda's second album, Evidence, was not a dramatic or radical departure from their 2001 debut, Reco Mended. It wasn't like they went from death metal to country or from gangsta rap to new age; nothing that extreme occurred. But there was something that set Evidence apart from Reco Mended stylistically: it had more of an R&B influence. With Evidence, Karmacoda maintained their trip-hop and alternative pop/rock orientation — that part didn't change — but there was definitely more of a soul influence on their second album. And while that acknowledgement of soul didn't make the San Francisco-based group sound tremendously different than before, it did show a willingness to grow and evolve. This 2003 release took a good thing and made it better, and the soul element didn't detract from the group's trip-hop or alternative pop/rock appeal. Ethereal offerings like "Where You Sleep," "All That Depth," "Whatwithall," and "Reaching" are club-friendly, but they also work well outside of a club setting and don't lose anything if one listens to them at home. Put it this way: Evidence isn't just an album of beats and club grooves — it is an album of songs. It is an album in which singer/producer/arranger Brett Crockett emphasizes both rhythmic appeal and honest to God songcraft. Another way in which Karmacoda evolve on Evidence is the way in which they feature lead vocalist Heather Pierce. Like Reco Mended, Evidence has plenty of female vocals/male vocals contrast (Crockett is the male vocalist). But on Evidence, one hears Pierce becoming even more prominent in the grand scheme of things and even more important to the group's sound. Creatively, Evidence was a definite step forward for Karmacoda.