Nonstop to Cairo dispenses with any pretense at all during their second single “Awkward Situations”. Horns and keyboards may prominently figure into the band’s other material, but the new track is a sinewy and uncompromising reminder that Cairo, first and foremost, wants to rock. It’s never going to be the ham-fisted and colorless 4/4 variety of rock, however, but instead the elastic and malleable fire-breathing percussion, bass, and guitar heard during “Awkward Situations”. There’s nothing “awkward” about this performance.
Nonstop to Cairo combines the confident surge of a veteran act anchored by an exceptional songwriting partnership along with the rambunctious furies of youth. The single and its video are practically brimming with more ideas than their creators know what to do with, but they rein the disparate elements together somehow and listeners end the song invariably satisfied by their experience. It’s a potent mix, however, and one they sustain from beginning to end.
Many reviewers will make a big deal about the punk influence in the band’s music here and elsewhere. The resemblance is superficial – skin-deep, at best. It breaks through, however, in the song’s spirit and the unbridled enthusiasm coming through in both the arrangement and video alike. It is redemptive and with good reason.
“Awkward Situations”, like the rest of the band’s pending album KAI, emerges in the shadow of the recent untimely death of the band’s keyboardist and trumpet player Kevin Itwaru. It seems timelier than ever, however, in light of those events and hearing the songs may be a mixed blessing for the unit, but it is difficult to believe that playing them for an audience would be enormously cathartic. There’s every reason to think, as well, that this track will end up a setlist staple for the band’s live show over the years to come.
There’s every reason to believe that Nonstop to Cairo will be around as well. They are tested by tragedy now and its tempering effects have spelled doom for the band’s songwriting or sound. They have reordered, regrouped, and, with this song, counter with a song and video that doesn’t betray even a hint of uncertainty. They will go on.
The video for “Awkward Situations” does not attempt remaking the whole over as it is simply a performance piece, However, the dark colors, the onrush of visual imagery, and how it marries with the backing track are perfect examples of how Nonstop to Cairo’s music and writing meet to form much of the band’s identity.
It is much broader than that and much wider than what we hear during this. Nonstop to Cairo keeps their focus relatively narrow during this song and it pays off handsomely for newcomers and longtime admirers alike with a winning performance. Further tracks on KAI will likely reflect this same energy level, albeit with variations, and their ability to manifest an assortment of faces under the same banner testifies to their talent. “Awkward Situations” is an emphatic reminder of Nonstop to Cairo’s power and rising stature.
Chadwick Easton