From Still Single (blog/US December 2009):

Judging by the black sleeve, weird pseudo-Olde English font, the name Pairdown, and song titles like “Soon You Will Flourish as a Caterer,” I was hunkering down for some dank basement-brewed caustic backwoods sludge. Imagine my surprise to discover that this is actually very gentle open-tuned acoustic folk that owes way more to Leo Kottke than Eyehategod. David Leicht and Raymond Morin are from Pittsburgh and both play guitars and sing. Sometimes they’re backed by bass and drums, as on the Kottke-esque “Spotted Eye,” but mostly the songs spotlight their dual-guitar interplay. The gorgeously simple “Three Coat” is one high point, the boys’ acoustics bouncing off one another in harmony. The afore-mentioned “Caterer” reminds me of an Americanized Richard Thompson, not bad by half. Occasionally they veer into “sensitive folkie playing guitar in the stairway in Animal House” territory, but I don’t feel the need to pull a Belushi brainbuster on their Martins. Instead, put this on and watch the light refract through the dusty windows of your barn right before the sun sets. Vinyl is limited to 315 copies.

-Mike Pace

************************************************************
 
From Fresh Deer Meat (blog/UK March 2009):

Pairdown | Holykyle - Pittsburgh acoustica with a killer twist

Throughout the years acoustica has always lived or died by the quality and variety of its narrative. Unlike most other genres the sparseness and clarity of the sound has always empowered the lyricist and ensured that what's said - and even how it's said - has retained an unquestionable level of authority.

This fact is not lost on Pittsburgh duo David Leicht and Raymond Morin. Pairdown, the vehicle for their jazz-blended acoustics, is a bold, complex and high-brow approach to modern-day acoustica. Exploring subject matters rarely considered in modern-day rock, let alone the comparatively pure confines of acoustica, the narrative of their debut album 'Holykyle' tackles weighty themes with a sure-footed aplomb.

From leftfield literary-referencing through intricate tales of ambiguous American life (the album kicks off with 'Percy In Her Hairfork' a song about a Gulf War deserter harboured by a former lover) 'Holykyle' is a sprawling work of art that, whilst occasionally being a little too smart for its own good, infuses Pairdown's music with a real sense of impact and voice.

The music itself is brave too. This is not just plain old acoustica cut-n-shut awkwardly alongside some telling, insightful narrative; far from it. The music reflects the ambition and range of the subject matters that Leicht and Morin have looked to explore, with ornate harmonies, sprightly jazz wig-outs and lush bluesy melodies weaved deliciously into the thread-work of the record.

All of this expansive songwriting distils itself perfectly in the album's stand-out track 'Burning Up A Winning Ticket', a song which shows Pairdown to be every bit as capable of following Great Lake Swimmers onto the cusp of the mainstream. More please.

'Holykyle' is available now from Sort Of Records. The album can be bought from the labels' official site.

Words: Louise Lake

************************************************************

From Here Comes The Flood (blog/NLD March 2009):

Pairdown: Holykyle

Pairdown is the collaboration of Pittsburgh-based singer-guitarists David Leicht and Raymond Morin. They have been playing together since 2005, exploring different moods and tunings for the acoustic guitar. Their full-length Holykyle has just been released on Morin's one-man label Sort Of Records. They name British folk bands like Pentangle and The Incredible String Band as their influences. There are hints of Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left in there too.

Holykyle is a gentle album that will appeal to fellow acoustic players and hardcore folk fanatics who still love their vinyl. Leicht and Morin can play together as if they are sharing a twelve-string. They are joined on stage by a bass player and drummer when they play live, but they don't really need them.

- Hans Werksman 

************************************************************

From Song, by Toad (blog/UK, March 2009):

Pairdown - Holykyle

There’s something of a plain quality to this record.  It’s very straightforward, and the delivery is pretty unadorned with straining or flourish.

Stylistically, it’s a largely acoustic indie album, layered with vocal harmonies which strive more to create depth and nuance than to soar or dance.  The acoustic guitar is meanderingly plucked throughout, occasionally hinting at the insistent pace of the Dodos, but never quite going that far.  More usually, there’s an interplay between pick and strum much the same as the one between the vocals; one which creates a good depth of sound without ever feeling the need to do anything very complicated.

Drums and a little bass fill out songs here and there, but for the most part they are played with restraint, more to give a foundation than to take a front seat.  This, I suppose, not a surprise, given that the band is for the most part a collaboration between two musicians: David Leicht and Raymond Morin.

Needless to say, this kind of writing depends heavily on finding a vocal melody, or a simple guitar hook, or a more long-term rhythmic signature in order to pick the individual songs out from their neighbours.  I wouldn’t definitely say that this always happens here, but for the most part it’s pretty successful.  There is something of a lull in the middle, where I found songs like Three Coat and Spotted Eye kind of slipping by unremarked.  However, just as you think they may have run out of ideas, Burning Up a Winning Ticket and Soon You Will Flourish as a Caterer put that notion gently but firmly to bed, giving the album a very strong finish.

Because the sound is far from something you’ll never have heard before it may take a little while for this album to sink in properly.  I’ve listened to it a good dozen times or so before writing this review, and it’s only the last handful of times through that I think I’ve started to really appreciate it.  So take your time with this record and you should find more than enough to reward your patience because it is, unobtrusively, a really good album.

- Matthew Young